The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), under the ‘Ghar Bachao – BJP hatao’ (Save Home-Remove BJP) campaign, raised awareness among people living in slums in the industrial area of Wazirpur on Wednesday. AAP MLAs Dilip Pandey and Rajesh Gupta, representing the ‘AAP,’ met with residents of these slums, informing them about the conspiracies of the BJP’s Central Government. MLA Shri Dilip Pandey stated that the Central Government wants to make the poor people homeless by demolishing slums. Despite the central government’s order to demolish slums in Delhi, as long as the AAP and CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal are present, their slums will not be demolished. MLA Dilip Pandey mentioned that the BJP makes promises before elections to provide houses where slums exist, but after the elections, it forgets these promises and starts planning to demolish slums.
During this, Senior AAP Leader and MLA Dilip Pandey stated that the recent meeting between the Prime Minister’s secretary and various departments of the Centre and Delhi. They summoned the Railway, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and Land and Development Office (LNDO) and directed them to remove slums within Delhi. The BJP, before elections, promises houses where ‘Jhuggis’ are, but after elections, it forgets those promises and attempts to demolish even ‘Jhuggis’. The BJP deployed heavy police forces to forcibly evict people in Tughlakabad before the elections. Efforts have also been initiated to remove the slums around Safdarjung Railway. Due to objections by the AAP, these slums were saved from demolition.
“The BJP hates those living in ‘Jhuggis’. The Modi government feels ashamed of people residing in slums. When the G-20 summit took place, the ‘Jhuggis’ in Delhi were covered. Currently, Delhi is experiencing an intense cold, and there is a plot to snatch roofs from the heads of the poor in this biting cold. God provides shelter over one’s head and food in the stomach. In such circumstances, no government has the right to take away people’s homes,” he added.
The AAP MLA continued, “We want to assure those living in ‘jhuggis’ that the Delhi government and CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal will fight to save their ‘jhuggis’. We may have to fight on the streets, go to the Parliament, or knock on the doors of the court, but we will not let these slums be demolished. We did not allow slums to be demolished before, and we won’t let them be demolished in the future; this is our promise. We stand with those living in slums. The Modi government knows that the Delhi government has made life easier for those living in slums. To save them from the impact of inflation, we provide them with free electricity, free water, and other free services. BJP is troubled by the free services given to the poor.”
MLA Dilip Pandey shared, “The BJP knows that Shri Arvind Kejriwal is deeply embedded in the hearts of Delhi’s people, and removing him from their hearts is impossible. Therefore, the BJP wants to retaliate against these people by making them homeless. The level of politics should not stoop so low that one seeks revenge for their defeat by making those living in slums homeless. The Central Government is issuing notices to demolish slums in Delhi, and we are going to inspect all those slums. Under no circumstances will we allow slums in Delhi to be destroyed.”
AAP MLA and State Vice-President Rajesh Gupta stated that for the past 30 years, people have been living in slums here. When factories were established in Wazirpur, those who worked there started living in these slums. The BJP repeatedly makes false promises that they will provide permanent housing for those living in slums, but not a single promise is fulfilled. Besides, now the BJP has issued instructions to demolish these slums. In 2017, the Delhi government built toilets for those living in these slums, which the BJP demolished. This government is so insensitive that it doesn’t find it necessary for people to have access to toilets. The Modi government, which promotes the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’, is forcing poor people to defecate in the open. These toilets were not illegally constructed; they were built by the Delhi government.
MLA Rajesh Gupta expressed, “When these toilets were demolished, I protested against it. I was arrested, but I didn’t back down. I raised the voice of the people here in the state assembly. After that, the central government had to relent, and they announced the construction of toilets for the poor people nearby. Initially, the central government demolished the toilets of these poor people, and now they want to make them homeless. The BJP knows that everyone living in slums votes for the AAP. They prefer Shri Arvind Kejriwal. That’s why the BJP now wants to remove them from here. In 2015, when the order to demolish slums was issued by the central government, I spoke to CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal at that time, and the Delhi government enacted a law stating that no ‘Jhuggis’ built before 2015 would be touched. Those ‘Jhuggis’ will not be demolished under any circumstances. Before removing the ‘jhuggis’, proper housing will be provided in the same place, and only then can the ‘jhuggis’ be cleared.”
