Delhi’s Urban Development Minister Shri Saurabh Bharadwaj issued a statement stating that today in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) MLAs carried out a very shameful act.
In the Delhi Assembly, BJP MLAs misled and lied, which could lead to a case of contempt and breach of Privileges of the Assembly. They attempted to mislead the Delhi Assembly by showing a list of deceased individuals with different reasons taken from the Delhi Police website.
Delhi’s Urban Development Minister Shri Saurabh Bharadwaj mentioned, “It’s clear from the Delhi Police’s Zipnet website that not only in winters but also in summers and normal weather conditions , Delhi Police reports approximately 300-350 bodies per month, throughout the year. According to the Zipnet website of Delhi Police, in June 2023, 270 unidentified dead bodies were reported , 370 in July 2023, 382 in August, 313 in September, 316 in October, 319 in November, and from December 1st to December 15th, 2023, 108 dead bodies were reported. This clarifies that in Delhi, throughout the year, approximately 300-350 bodies are recovered every month with different causes of death,”
The Delhi Urban Development Minister further added that today, BJP MLAs in the Delhi Assembly did a shameful act to defame the Kejriwal government by displaying a frivolous list taken from the Delhi Police website. He clarified that this list is related to deaths on Delhi’s streets from the previous month, containing information and pictures of all those who recently died on Delhi’s roads and were unidentified dead bodies. He explained that this is a regular procedure conducted by the Delhi Police, creating a list with pictures of deceased individuals found on Delhi’s streets monthly, which the Delhi Police uploads on its website.
Minister Shri Saurabh Bharadwaj accusing BJP MLAs stated that the disgraceful act by BJP MLAs is solely driven by dirty politics. From the images shown by the BJP MLAs in the assembly, it is evident that the deceased individuals they displayed suffered serious injuries on their bodies, indicating that these individuals died either in a road accident or as victims of crimes . BJP’s motive behind this act is only to mislead the people of Delhi and defame the Kejriwal government.
Delhi Urban Development Minister pointed out the dates of death mentioned in this list by the Delhi Police, highlighting that by observing these dates, it’s apparent that most deaths occurred in the month of November. He emphasized that all Delhi residents are well aware that there wasn’t extreme cold in November to cause someone’s death. The Minister reaffirmed that the actions of BJP MLAs are solely intended to defame Delhi’s popular CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal and his government through dirty politics.
Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, questioning the BJP seated in the center, stated that in last one year, the Central Government’s Archaeological Department demolished slum settlements near Tughlakabad Fort, rendering thousands homeless. Similarly, the Central Government demolished slum settlements near Mehrauli, causing thousands to become homeless. Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj mentioned that even then, “the AAP and the elected Delhi government raised their voices against this heinous act of the BJP seated in the center and questioned the BJP, asking, Where will these thousands of poor people go with their families & children?”
Delhi’s Urban Development Minister shared, “At that time, we explained these poor people’s children study in nearby schools, their daughters go to nearby colleges, these people work in nearby areas, and their women work in households. If their homes are demolished from here, their lives will be ruined. However, the BJP government seated in the center and its agencies forcibly snatched the roofs off the heads of these thousands of people solely due to their stubbornness.
Minister Shri Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP’s central government, stating that in the past few years, the BJP government in the center and its agencies like DDA, Railway, Archaeological Department, and NDMC have continuously demolished homes of people living in Delhi’s poor settlements. The list of slums and settlements demolished in Delhi in the past few years is as follows:
Tughlaqabad Fort slum – Around 1000 houses,
Priyanka Gandhi Camp, Vasant Vihar – 40 houses,
Dhaula Kuan slum – 80 houses,
Pragati Maidan slum – 60 houses,
Subhash JJ Camp, Badarpur – 40 houses,
DPS Mathura Road slum – 210 houses,
Gosia Colony, Mehrauli – 700 houses.
Additionally, the Railway Department of the Central Government has been consistently demolishing slum settlements on its land without ever contacting the Delhi Government’s DUSIB department. In total, the Railway Department has demolished 2130 houses in Delhi so far.
Delhi’s Urban Development Minister, referring to regulations, said that it’s a law that whenever a government demolishes houses of people residing in slums or colonies, it’s their responsibility to provide an alternative arrangement for those people to live. Questioning the BJP, the Minister asked whether the BJP’s central government, in the past year, has made any alternative arrangements for the thousands of people whose homes were demolished in various areas of Delhi. He highlighted that whenever any department or institution of the central government takes such action in a colony or slum, it becomes the responsibility of the central government’s DDA to make alternative arrangements for the people living in those settlements.
Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj further questioned the BJP-led government seated in the center, asking if the DDA of the central government in Delhi, for the thousands of people whose slum settlements were demolished in different areas in recent years, had made any alternative arrangements for their accommodation. If not, he inquired whether they plan to do so and, if yes, when would this arrangement be made?
