NEW DELHI: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, visited the Jailerwala Bagh and Wazirpur slums in Ashok Vihar on Friday, where several houses were demolished last month during an anti-encroachment drive by the Delhi Development Authority.
Gandhi met with the affected families, who expressed their distress over being rendered homeless. The Congress leader assured them of his support, vowing to take their fight to court and raise the issue in Parliament.
“Congress stands with you. We will not let this injustice continue,” Gandhi told the residents. The visit comes against the backdrop of repeated allegations by opposition parties accusing the newly formed BJP government of carrying out widespread slum demolitions across the capital.
On June 16, the DDA carried out a demolition drive in the Jailerwala Bagh and Wazirpur slums, part of a larger initiative to clear illegal structures on government land.
Around 200 dwellings were demolished, displacing many families in the process.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the BJP-led Delhi government of targeting other slum areas in the city. The party alleged that bulldozers are being sent to demolish slums in Shalimar Bagh and Rohtash Nagar.
AAP claimed eviction notices have been issued for slums in Indira Camp, which lies within Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s constituency, and Lal Bagh in Rohtash Nagar. These homes are under threat of demolition by July 31, sparking panic among residents, it said.
The Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi, criticised the BJP for betraying Delhi’s working-class families. “During elections, PM Modi and the BJP promised ‘Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makaan’. But now, their real agenda is clear—’Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Maidan’,” she said. Atishi declared that AAP would fight to protect these homes both in court and on the streets. Atishi also pointed to the contradiction in BJP’s pre-election promises.
“Before the elections, Modi assured every slum dweller in Delhi a pucca house, but now bulldozers are demolishing their homes,” she added. The AAP leader highlighted the demolitions that have already occurred in Madarasi Camp, Bhoomihieen Camp, Wazirpur, and several other areas under BJP’s rule.
“Don’t underestimate the strength of the poor. These people run Delhi. They work in homes, shops, factories. They drive autos, rickshaws, buses, and other vehicles. If the government dares to destroy their homes, these very people will come out onto the streets and stop Delhi from functioning,” Atishi said.
“AAP has always fought for the rights of the poor and will continue to do so. We will protest on the streets, take this fight to court, and raise it in Parliament and the Assembly. We will not allow BJP to demolish jhuggis,” she added.
Congress leader assures support to residents
Rahul met with the affected families, who expressed their distress over being rendered homeless. The Congress leader assured them of his support, vowing to take their fight to court and raise the issue in Parliament. On June 16, the DDA carried out a demolition drive in the Jailerwala Bagh and Wazirpur slums, part of a govt’s larger initiative.