‘Every child has right to a safe learning environment’: Rahul Gandhi on Kerala student electrocution

NEW DELHI: After a 13-year-old boy allegedly died due to electrocution on school premises in Kerala’s Kollam, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi urged the Kerala government to immediately undertake a public audit of all school infrastructure and “fix responsibility” for this tragedy.

In a post on X, Rahul said, “Six years ago, I had written to the Chief Minister of Kerala urging a comprehensive infrastructure audit of schools, after the ‘heartbreaking’ death of a young girl due to a snakebite inside her classroom. It pains me deeply that another precious life – 13-year-old Mithun Manu – has been lost to electrocution from a sagging power line within a school compound in Kollam.”

He also urged the Kerala Government to immediately undertake a time-bound public audit and upgrade all school infrastructure in the state, and to hold those responsible for this tragedy accountable.

“No parent should have to endure such unimaginable loss. Every child has the right to a safe learning environment,” the Congress MP said.

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala termed the incident “unfortunate” and blamed the government’s electricity board for the incident.
“It is very unfortunate. I am very sad about that incident…I feel that the Government Electricity Board is the real culprit, Education Department too,” he said it on Friday.

He also referred to Rahul Gandhi’s letter to the Chief Minister, highlighting the need to conduct an audit in schools following a similar incident and demanding an audit in all schools.

“When a girl was bitten by a snake in Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi gave a letter to the Chief Minister to have an audit in all the schools. This was two to three years ago, and to date, they have not taken any action. If an audit had been done at that time, this incident would have been avoided. So, I request the state government to have an audit in every school so that these kinds of incidents will never occur,” Chennithala said.

Meanwhile, opposition political parties organised a protest in Kerala’s Kollam on Friday, seeking justice for the family.

Kerala Minister K Krishnankutty told reporters on Thursday,” Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has been directed to conduct a detailed investigation. Further action will be taken after receiving the report. It is not yet clear who is at fault. Two agencies are conducting the investigation.

The report is expected by this afternoon. Both the Chief Electrical Inspector and KSEB are carrying out separate inquiries.”

ABVP members also held a protest march towards the Secretariat in Thiruvanathapuram a day earlier. (ANI)