AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday issued a challenge to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying he would not contest the Delhi elections if the central government withdraws all cases related to slum demolitions and give an undertaking in court that all displaced people would be rehabilitated on land they have been evicted from.
While calling himself the “protector of slums and slum residents”, Kejriwal said the BJP remembered slum-dwellers only during elections. “We saw recently how BJP leaders spend a night in different slums. Why now? Why didn’t you come here to sleep at night 10 years ago? All this jhuggi tourism is nothing but a drama to get votes. The BJP is a party of rich people. They think of jhuggi people as keeda koda (insects). Do you think they are spending time here because they love jhuggi residents? No, they are showing love because they want votes from you,” he said standing outside the Railway Camp in the Shakur Basti constituency.
The AAP supremo further said the BJP would prioritise land over slum-dwellers after the polls, citing how the lieutenant governor changed the land use of the Shakur Basti slum area to facilitate demolitions on December 7.
The AAP national convenor also accused the Railways of floating a tender to demolish the railway camp slum last September.
“This railway camp here, people are thinking they will get a house under the Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makan scheme, while the BJP already came up with a detailed plan to clear this area three months ago. If you vote for them and make them win, they will make you homeless in no less than two months,” Kejriwal warned. “They don’t love jhuggi people or care about anyone. They care only about their friends and political ambitions.”
Attacking Shah, Kejriwal said, “In an event yesterday, Shah called people from several jhuggis and abused me. BJP says There is no food in the hut. We also believe in this scheme. But Whose food is there in this hut? For slum dwellers? Nahi. This hut is their friend’s house, the builder’s house. Everyone knows who they are.”
“Withdraw all the cases you have filed against the people of jhuggis, and submit an affidavit in court that you will give houses to all those people on the same land where they lived earlier… I will not contest the elections. I give you this challenge, accept it. Otherwise, Kejriwal will not go anywhere, but will fight the elections, win and stand for the slum people like a pillar and will not let you demolish their houses,” he said.
Kejriwal said the BJP had constructed only 4,000 houses for slum residents under the Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makan scheme, while there are four lakh slums in Delhi, suggesting that it would take the saffron party at least a thousand years to provide housing for all these people. The reality is that they have no intention to construct houses for the poor. They are merely considering replacing slums with houses and commercial buildings for their rich friends,” he added.
“If you vote for BJP, it will be like signing your own suicide note. The BJP has plans to demolish all the jhuggis in Delhi. They will demolish all the slums within a year of forming a government. I was the one chief minister who woke up all the bureaucrats and reached the spot at midnight to stop the demolition process. I had saved several demolitions as CM,” Kejriwal said.
Reading out the names of slums that have been demolished, the former chief minister said, “I failed to save three lakh people’s houses. I am not in politics for money; I am here to serve you. You don’t want me either.”
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