BJP blames previous governments for illegal hotels after Delhi blaze

Delhi BJP president and Member of Parliament Harsh Malhotra on Wednesday blamed successive Delhi governments for the proliferation of allegedly illegal hotels in the Capital, following the devastating fire at a hotel in Hauz Rani that claimed 21 lives.

Expressing grief over the tragedy, Malhotra alleged that numerous hotels had been allowed to operate on the basis of incomplete licences due to a nexus between hoteliers and previous Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) governments. He claimed that the current state of the hotel sector was the result of “27 years of corruption” between 1998 and 2024.

Referring to the gutted hotel, Malhotra said a bed-and-breakfast licence issued for only six rooms in 2024 was allegedly used to run a hotel across the entire building. He further alleged that the establishment obtained high-load electricity connections despite deficiencies in regulatory clearances and that mandatory fire safety norms were not properly verified.

The BJP leader also criticised senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj for making political statements on the incident, alleging that the Tourism Department had granted an incomplete licence to the hotel during Bharadwaj’s tenure as a minister in May 2024. He demanded an explanation for the alleged lapse.

Meanwhile, Delhi government minister Ashish Sood and local MLA Satish Upadhyay visited the affected area on Wednesday morning. Based on their assessment, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta ordered an immediate inspection of hotels, motels and similar establishments across Delhi.

According to Malhotra, establishments found violating prescribed norms will face immediate action, including disconnection of electricity supply and closure. An inspection drive is expected to begin shortly.