Delhi demolition drive stirs up political tussle, AAP says BJP ‘destroying city’

Addressing a press conference, Saurabh Bhardwaj, the AAP’s Greater Kailash MLA, accused the BJP of trying to “uproot” the lives of “millions of Delhi residents”.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is intent on destroying Delhi in the garb of clearing the city of encroachments, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said on Thursday, a claim the saffron party dismissed.

Citing a document, AAP MLA said the civic body’s targets for the anti-encroachment programme included “Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital Road in Malviya Nagar.” (Representative image/HT)

Addressing a press conference, Saurabh Bhardwaj, the AAP’s Greater Kailash MLA, accused the BJP of trying to “uproot” the lives of “millions of Delhi residents”.

“Corrupt BJP leaders, who have enabled unsanctioned constructions by charging exorbitant bribes, should have their homes demolished first. The AAP demands that MCD [Municipal Corporation of Delhi] elections be held at the earliest so that Delhi residents can choose their desired government to run the body. The subsequently elected MCD must take decisions regarding these demolitions,” Bharadwaj said.

“BJP has been in power in MCD for the past 15 years. Who allowed these illegal settlements and encroachments in the first place? The BJP openly enabled these unauthorised settlements,” he added.

Citing a document, he said the civic body’s targets for the anti-encroachment programme included “Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital Road in Malviya Nagar.”

“I ask Adesh Gupta, where in this locality do these unauthorised settlers live? I go there everyday, but I am not aware of any such settlements. It further mentions Qutub Institutional Area, Gautam Nagar, PVR Saket D-Block. This list even includes the name of the very place I was born and brought up in – Chirag Delhi Main Road, which is well known to be inhabited by Jat and Brahmin populations,” he said.

After listing a few more areas purportedly selected for anti-encroachment action, Bhardwaj added, “Reading this absurd list of locations gives the impression that [Delhi BJP chief] Adesh Gupta and his team that issued the order do not live in Delhi,” Bharadwaj said.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said Bhardwaj used “undignified” language against Gupta.

“The effect of the bulldozer acting against Bangladeshi and Rohingya is visible on the minds of AAP leaders who are losing control on their speech and have started addressing their BJP opponents in the most undignified language,” said Kapoor.