Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia today visited a JJ cluster near Sunder Nursery in Jangpura Assembly, where countless homes were recently demolished by the BJP. Manish Sisodia extended his solidarity to the displaced families and reaffirmed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s unwavering commitment to protecting the rights of Delhi’s Jhuggi residents. Highlighting Arvind Kejriwal’s decade-long efforts, Manish Sisodia stated that the AAP government has relentlessly fought, even in courts, to prevent the demolition of Jhuggis ordered by the BJP-led Central Government. In stark contrast, he accused the BJP of engaging in “Jhuggi-Tourism,” where its leaders spend a night in slums only to return later with bulldozers to raze them.
At the site, Manish Sisodia along with Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, local MLA Praveen Kumar, area councillors and other party leaders sat down on the ground among the displaced residents. As residents saw their leaders arrive at the site, a large crowd gathered on the spot. Manish Sisodia patiently heard their concerns one by one. The residents showed him their documents proving how they had been living in the JJ-cluster for 3-4 decades. He even met many residents who told him that they were born in the slum.
Based on his conversation with the residents he said, “it appears that BJP is deliberately displacing these residents to flip this land into the hands of their land-mafia friends.” Given the prevailing situation, Manish Sisodia and all the party leaders proceeded to stay at the site in order to hear out all the residents.
Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia criticized the BJP, accusing them of engaging in ‘Jhuggi-Tourism’ in Delhi. “Before every election, their leaders spend a night in a jhuggi and make lofty promises,” he said. “Today, many senior BJP leaders are visiting jhuggis under the guise of ‘jhuggi tourism.’ I am here in the Sunder Nursery area, where the BJP government has already demolished numerous jhuggis. They visit these communities for a few hours just before elections, only to destroy the same jhuggis the following year.”
Manish Sisodia added, “I want to tell all the jhuggi residents of Delhi to be cautious of these people. The jhuggis they are visiting today will be targeted by bulldozers next year. If you don’t believe it, look at the jhuggis in Sunder Nursery. Thousands of people lived here in hundreds of jhuggis. Before the last election, BJP leaders carried out similar ‘jhuggi tourism,’ meeting residents and making promises, only to demolish their homes later.”
He emphasized that if anyone truly values the jhuggi residents of Delhi, it is Arvind Kejriwal. “Over the past ten years, whenever there has been an attempt to demolish jhuggis, Arvind Kejriwal has used all his authority to stop it. He has gone to court when necessary, and the AAP-led Delhi Government has done everything in its power to prevent these demolitions. In many instances, Arvind Kejriwal ensured that officials withdrew demolition notices issued to jhuggi residents.”
“Unlike the BJP’s token gestures, Arvind Kejriwal has consistently stood by jhuggi dwellers without resorting to ‘jhuggi tourism.’ He has spent nearly a decade living in jhuggis, staying with people, understanding their daily lives, and addressing their needs. Today, as Chief Minister, every decision he makes reflects his unwavering commitment to improving the lives of families, elders, and children living in jhuggis. This is the essence of Arvind Kejriwal’s politics,” said the former Deputy CM.
Manish Sisodia further asserted that the BJP’s politics revolves around spending one night in a jhuggi, engaging in ‘jhuggi tourism,’ and then demolishing the same jhuggis the following year. “They have consistently torn down jhuggis across Delhi. Today, they are visiting jhuggis again, but tomorrow, they will send bulldozers to destroy them. These people are not just indifferent—they are enemies of jhuggis and their residents. Their ultimate goal is to eliminate all jhuggis from Delhi and uproot the people living in them. Do not be deceived by their gestures or fall for their tricks,” Manish Sisodia warned.
Reacting to BJP leaders’ announcement about spending a night in the jhuggis, Sunder Nursery residents called it a mere show. They said that the BJP has no genuine concern for the jhuggi residents. “Now the land has come under the Home Ministry. They’ve even put up their board here. We’ve been living here for 40-50 years and even our children grew up here,” they shared.
The local residents explained that they have papers from the MCD and that their jhuggis are registered with DUSIB. According to DUSIB’s provisions, jhuggis built before 2006 are listed under its records. These jhuggis have existed long before 2006. “We have ration cards and voter IDs for this area. What happened to us is pure injustice. We’ve been completely ignored,” they said.
The residents also alleged, “some jhuggi mafias are active in the area and enjoy BJP’s protection. The BJP demolished our jhuggis, but a land mafia is still living here comfortably. Instead of removing him, they’ve fenced off a large plot for him. Meanwhile, when we try to visit our plots, the police beat us and drive us away,” they added.
