The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has hit the panic button after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s ‘Ghar-Rozgar Bachao’ movement has shaken ground in Delhi’s jhuggis. In a dramatic turn triggered by AAP’s grassroots movement, the BJP seems to have gone into damage-control mode, with its MLAs suddenly taking rounds of the very jhuggis they had long ignored. The movement—launched to resist the forced eviction of poor families and defend their right to shelter and livelihood—has begun showing visible political impact.
AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj congratulated Delhi’s poor for “trailer of their strength” on June 29, saying it forced the BJP to press the panic button. “The same BJP MLAs who didn’t bother to wipe the tears of the displaced are now walking through jhuggis with folded hands,” Saurabh Bharadwaj said, warning residents not to trust the BJP’s sudden outreach.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bhardwaj stated, “Today is a monumental day for the poor and marginalized of Delhi. Ever since the BJP came to power in Delhi, their arrogance had skyrocketed to the extent that they stopped treating common people as human beings. Life became unbearable for Delhi’s poor.”
He elaborated, “A flood of notices and demolitions hit unauthorised colonies. Even extended Lal Dora areas like Kadipur were not spared. Be it unauthorised colonies, Lal Dora regions—which include Delhi’s villages—or the poorest of the poor who live in jhuggis, the BJP made survival a daily struggle. Even the small roofs over their heads were being crushed by bulldozers.”
Recalling the events of June 29, the senior AAP leader said, “On Sunday, the poor of Delhi showed the BJP a glimpse of their power. It was just a trailer, and yet it was enough to push the BJP into panic mode. On Monday, BJP MLAs—those very MLAs who never once set foot in the jhuggis of their own constituencies even after hundreds were demolished—were seen going door-to-door in jhuggis with folded hands. BJP leaders are now flocking to the jhuggis, scrambling to control the damage.”
Referring to previous demolitions, Saurabh Bhardwaj said, “These are the same BJP MLAs who did nothing when women from Tamil Nadu were wailing during the demolition of Madras Camp. They didn’t even offer a word of comfort then. Today, those very MLAs are roaming the jhuggis saying, ‘I’m with you.’ The videos are there on Facebook.”
Highlighting the BJP’s internal alarm, he added, “I’ve heard that there was a serious discussion yesterday at the Secretariat during the inauguration of the MLA Lounge. There’s concern now within the BJP that the poor are coming together, they are getting organised. I congratulate all the poor residents of Delhi on behalf of the Aam Aadmi Party—your voice has finally been heard. But do not trust them. These people are not worthy of trust.”
Cautioning residents against falling for political optics, the AAP Delhi State President stressed, “When BJP MLAs come to your jhuggis now—and they will come every day, with folded hands—tell them: ‘We do not trust your intentions.’ If they truly want to earn your trust, then they must withdraw the court cases that the central government has filed against you in the High Court and Supreme Court. These cases—whether filed by the Railways, DDA, L&DO, or the Ministry of Defence—are all under departments run by the BJP government.”
“Every time they say ‘it’s a court order,’ ask them—who took the matter to court? It was the BJP-led Central Government. The BJP’s Railways Ministry. The BJP’s DDA. The BJP-run L&DO. The BJP’s Defence Ministry. These departments are using top lawyers in court against the poorest jhuggi residents of Delhi,” Saurabh Bhardwaj revealed.
Turning to the role of government, he highlighted, “What is a government for, if not to stand in court for the poor and voiceless? But here, it is the government itself that is filing cases against the poor. How can a daily wager from Madrasi Camp, earning ₹500 a day, fight a top lawyer hired by the BJP’s central government? There’s a poor widow in Wazirpur, working in people’s homes to educate her three children. Does she even know that the Railways have hired top lawyers to fight against her in the High Court? What will she do?”
Saurabh Bhardwaj continued, “It is deeply shameful that under a coordinated conspiracy, various agencies of the BJP-led government have filed massive legal cases against Delhi’s poorest and most marginalised people. They’ve hired top-tier lawyers against residents who don’t even have proper documents. These residents are being defeated in court through legal manipulation, and then BJP leaders tell them it’s the court’s order.”
Warning residents to stay vigilant, he added, “The next time a BJP MLA enters your jhuggi with folded hands—and they will—you must tell them clearly, ‘We don’t trust you.’ Tell them to first ask their government to withdraw all the cases filed by their government departments against jhuggi residents. Then we’ll wait and see how many cases they actually withdraw.”
“If they don’t, then the poor of Delhi will unite and launch a massive movement. What usually happens is a bulldozer shows up outside a poor family’s house, the BJP MLA vanishes, the home is demolished, and then the MLA shrugs it off like nothing happened. But now, you can’t be fooled anymore—now you must act,” he stated.
Reacting to a report about fresh demolitions near Chand Cinema, he said, “We hadn’t received that information yet, but now we know through you. And this is exactly my point—these people are not to be trusted. Today, they’ll fold their hands in front of you and claim they’re with you. But the day the bulldozer arrives, they won’t answer your calls or even show their faces. Your jhuggi will be destroyed, and you won’t be able to do anything. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. That’s why we understand their reality, and that’s why they are now desperately trying to manipulate simple jhuggi residents by showing up in their lanes with folded hands.”
Ending the press conference with a stern warning, Saurabh Bhardwaj said, “They will come to your door now, not out of compassion, but out of fear. Don’t let their drama deceive you again.”
