New Delhi [India], June 29 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday lashed out at the Delhi government under the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) over the alleged demolition of slums in Delhi, accusing them of rendering the poor "homeless".
Speaking at an AAP protest rally against the alleged demolitions at Jantar Mantar, Kejriwal stated, "In such heat, at 50°C, they are demolishing the slums of poor people, making them helpless, making them stay on the roads... The poor man works near his slum... If the slum is destroyed, their livelihood also gets ruined."
Kejriwal's remarks came as part of a broader critique of the BJP's policies, which he had warned against during his election campaign.
He noted that before elections in Delhi, he stated that the BJP was eyeing this land and if they were voted in, they would demolish the areas within a year, pointing out that the party had already "destroyed" Delhi in five months in power.
"Before the elections, I released a video saying that you should not vote for them (BJP), even by mistake, because their eyes are on your land. If you vote for them, they will demolish your slums within a year. I had said they would demolish it in a year, but they have already destroyed Delhi in just 5 months... They have run the bulldozers and ruined Delhi," the AAP National Convenor stated.
Meanwhile, the AAP held a massive protest at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, led by Arvind Kejriwal, senior leader Manish Sisodia, and Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj, against the BJP's alleged demolition of jhuggis in Delhi.
Saurabh Bharadwaj, ahead of the rally, said the BJP has "betrayed" the very people who trusted them and voted them into power.
He claimed that over 10,000 jhuggis have already been demolished, displacing more than one lakh residents, rendering them homeless and without any form of shelter or security.
Earlier on June 11, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa defended the Delhi Development Authority's (DDA) action against illegal encroachment and said that those whose slums have been removed have been given separate houses.