While BJP labels ‘Purvanchalis’ as ‘Rohingyas’ to strip them of their rights, AAP, over past decade, have worked tirelessly to ensure life of dignity for them in Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal

“While we toiled for a decade to uplift Purvanchalis, BJP’s J.P. Nadda insults their sweat and sacrifice by calling them Rohingya,” asserted the AAP Chief, vowing to thwart BJP’s attempts to disenfranchise the Purvanchali community.AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal stated, “Just two days ago, BJP President J.P. Nadda made deeply offensive remarks against the ‘Purvanchali’ community during a session in Parliament. He compared the Purvanchalis living in Delhi to ‘Rohingya’ infiltrators and ‘Bangladeshis’, and further stated that BJP workers were filling out forms to have their names removed from voter lists.”After playing the video in which BJP President J.P. Nadda could be seen admitting the voter deletions of ‘whether they are Rohingyas, Purvanchalis, or Bangladeshis’, the AAP Supremo asserted that it is now clear that BJP workers are deliberately working to disenfranchise the Purvanchali community in Delhi. “We strongly condemn this act and regard it as a well-planned conspiracy against an entire community. On one hand, BJP leaders brand Purvanchalis as ‘Rohingyas’ and Bangladeshis; on the other, they attempt to strip them of their citizenship,” he added.Arvind Kejriwal affirmed, “How can Purvanchalis, who have lived in Delhi for 30-40 years after migrating from UP and Bihar and contributed to its development, be labeled as ‘Rohingyas’? As we all know, a voter card is essential not only for voting but also for accessing several government services. By targeting voter cards, BJP is effectively depriving Purvanchalis of basic services and benefits.”“This is a disgusting and premeditated conspiracy by the BJP, as the majority of Delhi’s Purvanchali community supports the AAP. Previously, we exposed the voter list submitted by BJP to the Election Commission, which contained 11,000 names from Shahdara alone that BJP wanted to be deleted. In addition, we revealed similar lists from 14 other constituencies, where thousands of names are being struck off,” pointed out the AAP Chief.Reading out a few names whose votes have been deleted, Arvind Kejriwal said, “These names include Vivek Mishra, Ruchi Mishra, Akash Mishra, Ubaydat Pandey, Priya Dubey, Vinita Singh, Lakhan Singh, Arun Kumar Mishra, Amit Jha, Arjun Singh, Devendra Singh, Abhishek Yadav, Rasiya Kumar, Sarul Kumar, Manoj Kumar Singh, and many others. BJP and J.P. Nadda must answer: are these people Rohingyas? All these individuals are members of the Purvanchali community from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who have lived in Delhi for 30-40 years.”The AAP Head revealed that while BJP is implementing its sinister plan to uproot the Purvanchali community, the AAP has been working tirelessly to give this community dignity and respect. Since its formation, the AAP has focused on ensuring the welfare and upliftment of Purvanchalis in Delhi.Highlighting the plight of Purvanchalis, Arvind Kejriwal mentioned, “Many people from UP and Bihar migrate to Delhi in search of employment or education, often coming from financially disadvantaged or lower-middle-class families. Unable to afford the high rents in regularized colonies, they settle in unauthorized colonies, either by renting or buying space, as it is more affordable. Out of Delhi’s 1,797 unauthorized colonies, 80-90% of the residents belong to the Purvanchal community.”Sharing an anecdote from the past, the AAP National Convenor said, “I still remember how, back in the 2013 elections, the conditions in unauthorized colonies where many Purvanchalis lived were deplorable. People lived in knee-deep water and mud; there were no proper drainage systems, drinking water facilities, roads, schools, or hospitals. Unauthorized colonies lacked basic facilities, as builders divided and sold land illegally. With no alternatives, people were compelled to live in such conditions.”The former Delhi Chief Minister said, “When I became Chief Minister in 2015, I instructed officers to develop roads, sewage systems, and schools, aiming to provide these residents with a dignified life. Officials initially told me that development in unauthorized colonies was impossible due to Supreme Court orders and restrictions from the central government. But we overcame these challenges and initiated significant development work in these areas.”Sharing statistics on development works done by the AAP government in the unauthorised colonies, the AAP Chief said, “Delhi has 1,797 unauthorized colonies, and today, we have laid water pipelines in 1,650 of them. Over 10,000 kilometers of roads and streets have been constructed, 6,800 kilometers of drainage systems have been installed, and 4,000 kilometers of water pipelines have been laid. We’ve built schools, Mohalla Clinics, and installed CCTV cameras to improve security.”“Before our government, people from unauthorized colonies said that no one would consider marriage proposals from their homes because of the poor state of their surroundings. Today, thanks to the improvements, these areas are more livable, and property values have increased from Rs 3,000 per square yard to Rs 1 lakh per square yard in just 7-8 years. This transformation is proof of the respect and dignity we’ve brought to the Purvanchali communities,” he added.Alerting the Purvanchalis community of Delhi against BJP’s malafide intentions, Arvind Kejriwal said, “We urge every member of the Purvanchali community not to trust BJP workers. Do not show your voter card or share any details with them. There is a strong possibility that they are collecting this information to remove your name from voter lists. Keep checking the voter rolls to ensure your name remains intact.”“In the coming days, AAP will take this issue to every household in Delhi. We will show Nadda’s video to expose BJP’s deliberated conspiracy against the Purvanchali community. Every AAP worker will visit Purvanchali homes, and Sanjay Singh will embark on a campaign across Delhi. He will stay overnight in Purvanchali colonies, meet Purvanchalis, and unite them against BJP’s nefarious agenda. We will not let BJP succeed in its plan to marginalize the Purvanchali community,” said Arvind Kejriwal.*We are not Rohingyas or Bangladeshis; we are people from UP and Bihar. We will avenge this insult in the elections: Sanjay Singh*AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, “I was present in the House when our brothers from Purvanchal were insulted. They were called Rohingyas, Bangladeshis, and infiltrators. Today, we have become infiltrators in our own country. We, the people from UP, Bihar, and Purvanchal, who have been living in Delhi for 40-40 years. Our children were born here, they are studying here. Our parents live here. Through our hard work and dedication, we built Delhi. Have we become Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in our own country? And this is not an ordinary person but the BJP’s National President saying this. I was shouting there that some of these people are named Ram. At least listen to their names. But no one was ready to listen. The entire BJP stood up, shouting ‘Rohingya, Rohingya.’“We will go to every Purvanchal colony in Delhi and show our Purvanchal brothers this insulting video, which contains the BJP National President’s statement. We will send this video to every Purvanchal brother’s phone and make them hear it. We must take revenge for this insult in this election. We are not Rohingyas or Bangladeshis. Among us, some are from Sultanpur, some from Gonda, some from Patna, Bihar, and others from Muzaffarpur,” said the AAP Rajya Sabha MP.*Arvind Kejriwal gave the most tickets to people from UP and Bihar and made them ministers and MPs: Sanjay Singh**Sanjay Singh read out the names of Purvanchal residents in Delhi whose names the BJP has applied to the Election Commission to remove from the voter list. He said, “At least they should have read these names. In this list is a person named Ram Singh, who resides at 114/61, Bhanwar Singh Camp, Vasant Vihar. Is he a Rohingya? I kept telling the Parliament repeatedly that his name is Ram. But the BJP members were shouting as if they would choke my voice. Another person is Ram, who resides in RK Puram constituency at 114/108, Bhanwar Singh Camp, Vasant Vihar. Similarly, Chhote Lal Verma lives in Ambedkar Nagar Basti in RK Puram.*“This list is very long. Our Purvanchal brothers are being called Rohingyas and Bangladeshis. Furthermore, Arvind Kejriwal built Chhath Ghats in Delhi, providing every facility to celebrate the biggest festival of Purvanchal. He honored our brothers and sisters from UP and Bihar. Before 2013, Purvanchal residents used to struggle to get even one or two assembly tickets. But Arvind Kejriwal gave the most tickets to people from UP and Bihar, making them ministers and MPs. And now, when his party is trying to save the votes of Purvanchal residents, these people are being called Rohingyas and Bangladeshis. That’s why this campaign will be carried out on a large scale across Delhi. We will go door-to-door to deliver this message to our Purvanchal and UP-Bihar people,” said Sanjay Singh.*Now Purvanchal brothers have realized where real development is happening and who they should support: Avadh Ojha*Senior leader Avadh Ojha said, “In 1995, my family lived in Delhi’s Sangam Vihar area. My father was a humble clerk in the post office, and we didn’t have enough money to live in better areas of Delhi, so we had no option but to live in these settlements. After the elections, when the Aam Aadmi Party government came to Delhi, the conditions in those settlements improved. The way BJP National President JP Nadda has labeled us as Rohingyas, I can see a motive behind it.”“There’s a song: ‘Birds, rivers, gusts of wind, no borders can stop them… No state should stop the flow of education, health, and development.’ Now, Purvanchal brothers are realizing where real development is happening and who they should align with. Many families from Purvanchal have their children studying in schools here. Those who are still in my hometown are also saying that they’re considering moving to Delhi. I believe the reason behind labeling us Purvanchalis as Rohingyas is clear: today, Purvanchal and Bihar, which represent the largest group, have realized that the flow of development comes only from the Aam Aadmi Party, and ‘AAP’ will take it across our state and all of India,” concluded Avadh Ojha.