AAP Senior Leader and Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi visited BR Camp, behind Race Course to meet the residents of the slum. Here BJP-led central government agency DDA has given notice to people for demolition of their houses. Residents of BR Camp, promised homes by the BJP before elections, are now facing the threat of demolition by the BJP-led Delhi Development Authority (DDA). Despite assurances to provide houses in the same locations as existing ones, the BJP-led DDA is pushing for the relocation of people to Narela and Kakrola which are 50 kilometers from here. This will impact the work of people as well as the education of their children.
Speaking of the dubious act of BJP, AAP Leader Atishi said, “Ahead of elections, BJP always promises people to give them houses in the place as their existing houses, but as soon as the elections get over, all the promises fall flat. Slums at various places across Delhi are being demolished because the Prime Minister hates slums and according to him, slums cause him embarrassment in front of his foreign friends. But till the time Arvind Kejriwal is CM of Delhi, we will not let the BJP demolish any house in the slums of Delhi and will fight for it from the streets of Delhi to Parliament. If needed we will stand together with people in front of bulldozers to save their houses.”
She said, “Today, I visited BR Camp, located just behind the Race Course, where approximately 500 houses are currently occupied. The BJP had promised residents, before every election, that it would provide a house in place of the existing houses they are living in. Residents of BR Camp showed the forms they had filled out before the elections to secure homes from the BJP. However, now that the elections are over, the BJP-led DDA has planned to demolish the slum. A notice by the DDA has been pasted on the houses, informing residents that their houses will be demolished. They have been told that some of them will get houses in Narela, which is about 50 kilometers from here. However, the people of BR Camp are sure that they want a house where they are already living because that is what the law also says.”
Demolition of slums has been going on across Delhi, with the DDA making a list of such places and bulldozing the jhuggis across Delhi. Ahead of the elections, the BJP promises that they would give houses in the same place as the existing ones, but after the elections, the central government agency leads the drive to demolish these jhuggis, she added.
AAP Senior Leader Atishi said, “Whenever the elections come, BJP workers make huge promises of building houses in the same place as jhuggis. They get the forms filled out by people, but as soon as the elections are over, they forget all the promises. They are shifting people 50 kilometers from here to Narela and Kakrola. This will impact the studies of children and the work of people.”
She added that a few days ago, the BJP-led DDA demolished the houses of 300 families in Sunder Nagar, leaving them homeless in this spine-chilling cold because of the BJP. This is all happening because the PM doesn’t like slums. He is ashamed of the slums in front of his foreign friends. That is why he wants to get rid of jhuggis in Delhi.
But until Arvind Kejriwal is Chief Minister of Delhi, we will not let this happen. We will fight for the rights of these slum dwellers on the roads of Delhi, by standing in front of bulldozers, in court, and in Parliament. But we will not let the DDA demolish houses. This is the promise of CM Arvind Kejriwal to the people living in slums. We will fight for the right to housing of every slum dweller here, added Ms Atishi.
Citing an example of the BJP’s dubious act, AAP Senior Leader Atishi said, “Ahead of MCD elections, BJP distributed keys of new houses to some people in Bhoomiheen Camp in Kalkaji constituency. BJP also made false promises to others. But as soon as the elections got over, their houses were bulldozed off without any notice. AAP then moved to court and got a stay for some houses.” She added that the BJP is conspiring to bulldoze houses in Navjeevan Camp too. But this is not only about one or two slums. All the central government agencies, DDA, LNDO, and Railways, have been asked to demolish slums in their jurisdiction. This was discussed in a recent meeting too held in the PM office.
AAP leader said, “We promise people living in slums that we will take this matter to court because having a house in the same place as the existing one is their right. Legally, this is the norm of in-situ rehabilitation. BR Camp is on DUSIB’s notified list and was established before 2015; that is why people here cannot be removed without in-situ rehabilitation.”
She added that whether we have to protest on roads or anywhere, we will get the stay order from the court and will save these jhuggis. We promise that people here will not be removed from their houses and no jhuggi will be demolished.
