BJP MPs trying to ruin Delhi, says AAP

New Delhi, July 17

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday objected to the demolition of slums in Delhi by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) earlier this week. Senior AAP leader and MLA Durgesh Pathak criticised the BJP, stating that all seven MPs in Delhi since 2014 are from the BJP and have failed to contribute positively over the past 11 years, now engaging in destructive actions by demolishing parts of the city.

“A few days ago, the DDA demolished several slums in the Chandni Chowk area, yet there is no sign of local MP Praveen Khandelwal. The silence of BJP MPs indicates their support for these demolition actions,” Pathak said.

Pathak highlighted that the Indian Railways has issued a notice to demolish thousands of slums in Patel Nagar and Brar Square, but the BJP MP from New Delhi, Bansuri Swaraj, is not even responding to calls from the affected residents. “The notice states that the demolition of these huts will begin on July 22. It has been five or six days since these notices were posted,” he added.

Regarding the demolitions in Chandni Chowk, Pathak alleged that it appears to be orchestrated by BJP MPs, as Khandelwal has not visited the area even once in the past five days. “Meanwhile, AAP is providing legal assistance to the affected people in both cases. For the last 11 years, the BJP has only worked to ruin Delhi,” he added.

Pathak emphasised that Railways and DDA fall under the jurisdiction of Swaraj and Khandelwal, as both departments are managed by the Central Government. However, they are not taking any action. “Their silence should be seen as implicit approval, as if they are secretly instructing these departments to demolish people’s homes. The people of Delhi elected you, but if this continues, it is only a matter of time before they lose faith in you,” he added.

Meanwhile, Swaraj’s office responded to the allegations and said the AAP MLA was “misleading” the people.

The fact is that people from Patel Nagar and Brar Square already met Swaraj twice in the past over the issue, it said.

The Delhi BJP counter-attacked Pathak, asking him to list any work done by its Rajya Sabha MPs in Delhi. Pathak before trying to mislead poor residents of Khyber Pass or Brar Square, should tell why the Kejriwal government has not given a single flat to any homeless out of the 40,000 Rajiv Awas flats at Narela and adjoining areas whose allotment has been pending since 2014-15, it said.