NEW DELHI: A series of demolition drives targeting jhuggi-jhopdi (JJ) clusters across the national capital has triggered sharp political confrontations and widespread public concern, as hundreds of families have been displaced with little clarity on their resettlement.
Only this year, authorities have razed informal settlements in areas such as Wazirpur, Jailorwala Bagh, Shalimar Bagh, and Jangpura, citing court orders and environmental concerns. In one of the largest such operations in June, nearly 370 jhuggis were cleared at Madrasi Camp near the Barapullah drain. According to official data, 189 families deemed eligible were shifted to flats in Narela, while 181 were declared ineligible and left without an alternative shelter.
The government has maintained that the demolitions are being carried out in line with legal mandates and only after identifying and rehabilitating eligible residents.
On Sunday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta defended her administration’s actions, stating that no demolition is taking place without a plan for rehabilitation. She added, the government has allotted Rs 700 crore for the development of slum areas under the ‘Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makan’ scheme. She visited several affected JJ clusters to assure residents of better housing, sanitation, and road infrastructure in the coming months.
The opposition, however, has not been convinced. AAP leaders have taken to the streets in protest, accusing the BJP-led administration of carrying out “anti-poor” demolitions without adequate safeguards. At a major demonstration at Jantar Mantar last month, former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged the BJP was making good on his earlier warning that slums would be bulldozed if the party was elected to power. The AAP supremo warned if demolitions continued, the government “would not survive three years.”
Congress too has joined the fray. Rahul Gandhi visited demolition sites in Ashok Vihar and Wazirpur, criticising the government for what he termed an “inhuman approach” towards the urban poor. He pledged legal and parliamentary action to support affected families, accusing the BJP of disregarding the vulnerable population.
On Monday, Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav hit out at the BJP and AAP governments, accusing both parties of only demolishing slums instead of ensuring rehabilitation of the displaced poor. “When 3,000 JJ clusters were bulldozed to leave 15,000 residents without roofs over their heads in scorching heat, only Rahul Gandhi rushed to their support and assured them of all help,” he said.
The BJP has dismissed the criticism, calling the opposition’s protests “political theatrics.” Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the AAP is shedding crocodile tears after doing little for slum rehabilitation during its own tenure.
He said the BJP government is the only one to take real steps under the ‘Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makan’ initiative, with thousands of people already shifted to permanent homes in places like Kalkaji and Kathputli Colony.
The demolitions are part of a larger trend that critics have described as “bulldozer politics,” with authorities in several Indian states using demolition drives to clear alleged encroachments into public spaces — often affecting marginalised communities the hardest. Delhi had seen similar drives ahead of the 2023 G20 Summit, when thousands were displaced to clear key roads and intersections for beautification and renovation.
With fresh notices issued in areas like Lal Bagh and Haji Camp, and demonstartions intensifying on the ground, the issue, and the political controversy around it, is unlikely to die down soon.