BJP selling MCDs’ assets ahead of elections next year, alleges AAP

Addressing a press conference, AAP chief spokesperson and Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj said the North MCD passed a resolution on September 1 to give all the land and buildings they have to “their loved ones” for free. Delhi BJP denied the allegations and called it “baseless”.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled municipal corporations in Delhi are planning to give away prime plots of land and infrastructure to private entities to rake in money before the MCD elections next year. The Delhi BJP, however, denied the allegation calling it “baseless”.

AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj said preparations are underway to auction the hospitals. (Mohd Zakir/HT PHOTO)

Addressing a press conference, AAP chief spokesperson and Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj said the North MCD passed a resolution on September 1 to give all the land and buildings they have to “their loved ones” for free.

“BJP is preparing to run away from MCD, and is preparing to distribute all the assets and income sources to its own people for free. The BJP-ruled MCD is selling every expensive plot of land it has for very cheap prices. Preparations are underway to auction the hospitals. All the parks of MCD are about to have shops inside them. BJP is preparing to earn money by handing over the roads to the food vendors. BJP-ruled MCD sold Novelty Cinema land worth ₹150 crore for just ₹34 crores; Dangal Maidan will be sold for one-fourth the price,” said Bhardwaj.

The Delhi BJP said the AAP lacks basic understanding about the functioning of the MCDs. “For decades, dozens of charitable organisations have been working out of premises owned and provided by the MCDs and running dispensaries, schools for the differently abled and orphans. Most cremation grounds in Delhi are owned by MCDs, but they are maintained and run by charitable NGOs. In fact MCDs extend financial aid to some NGOs,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor.

“This week’s North MCD’s standing committee proposal to handover few vacant health department premises to charitable NGOs for running health dispensaries is in line with the decades old tradition, and it is sad that the AAP is trying to malign this good scheme with political vendetta,” the BJP spokesperson said.