Congress slams demolition of Madrasi Camp

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Devender Yadav strongly condemned the demolition of the decades-old Madrasi Camp in Jangpura by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), calling the action “shocking and saddening” and accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Delhi of playing “petty politics” with the lives of vulnerable families.

Yadav said the BJP government had failed in its basic humanitarian duty by demolishing the camp without ensuring proper alternative accommodation for all affected families. “The Rekha Gupta Government adopted a pick-and-choose policy, allotting flats in distant Narela to only 215 families, while 155 families have been left homeless in the middle of scorching heat and sudden rain,” he said.

Yadav criticised the administration for not making rehabilitation its first priority. “Instead of showing basic compassion, the government left over a 100 families to fend for themselves on the streets,” he said.

He pointed out that the BJP, in its Assembly election manifesto – the Sankalp Patra – had made grand promises to JJ cluster residents, claiming that it would provide affordable housing, quality education, connectivity and security through schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and PM Shri. “They boasted about providing 3.5 lakh pucca houses for JJ cluster residents, citing examples from Kalkaji and Ashok Vihar. But the reality is evident in the inhuman demolition at Madrasi Camp,” he said.

Yadav noted that the Madrasi Camp had stood for more than 60 years and was home to hundreds of families contributing to the city’s economy and infrastructure. “This action by the BJP government is not only snatching away their homes and livelihoods but also jeopardising the education of their children. Even the families that shifted to Narela face an uncertain future, with no electricity, water supply or reliable transport connectivity,” he said.

He contrasted the BJP’s approach with the Congress government’s policy under the Sheila Dikshit government. “Our government had ensured that no JJ cluster would be demolished without providing alternate housing. In Kalkaji, we initiated in-situ construction of flats to resettle cluster residents with dignity and security,” Yadav said.

He alleged that since taking office over 100 days ago, the Rekha Gupta administration has been aggressively targeting JJ clusters and street vendors.