BJP, AAP leaders scuffle in Palam over response to fire that killed 9

NEW DELHI: A confrontation over a fatal blaze in southwest Delhi’s Palam escalated into a physical scuffle between BJP MLA Kuldeep Solanki and AAP Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday.

The clash broke out a day after a fire claimed the lives of nine people, with leaders from both parties trading charges over alleged lapses in the emergency response.

The incident occurred when representatives from both sides visited the area where nine members of a family, including a 70-year-old woman and her three granddaughters, died on Wednesday.

According to police, the altercation was triggered by a heated exchange over an alleged delay in deployment of hydraulic cranes during the firefighting operation.

“The argument escalated into a brief scuffle, with supporters from both sides raising slogans against each other,” a senior officer with Delhi Police said. The situation was brought under control after police intervention, the officer said, adding that additional force has been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.

Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav on Thursday wrote to L-G Taranjit Singh Sandhu, seeking a probe into the Palam fire incident that killed nine people. He said the tragedy could have been prevented with timely rescue operations and alleged delays in emergency response.

Citing data, Yadav said 4,652 people died in fire incidents between 2016 and 2025, with 24 deaths reported in 2026 so far. He also flagged manpower and equipment shortages in the fire department and urged measures to curb such incidents.