Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said the Centre would spend R 1 lakh crore for the development of unauthorised colonies in the next five years if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power in Delhi.
Addressing a public meeting in northeast Delhi’s Mustafabad, which has a sizeable Muslim population, the BJP leader invoked the issue of Ram Mandir and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The Centre decision to give ownership rights to residents of 1,731 unauthorised colonies is one of the main poll planks of the BJP. In Mustafabad, which is dotted with unauthorised colonies, Shah spoke about the party’s plan to upgrade basic civic facilities.
Shah said the Narendra Modi-led government did a lot of work, including providing ownership rights to residents of unauthorised colonies, but basic development works had to be done by the state government, which the AAP government had failed.
“Modiji has got you ownership rights but he cannot address sewer problems in unauthorised colonies, he cannot open gardens in unauthorised colonies, he cannot open hospitals here. These are to be done by the state government and will require Rs 1 lakh crore. We aim to spend it, if come to power in Delhi,” Shah said.
On the second day of his small-scale group meetings in the run-up to the Delhi elections, Shah canvassed for the party’s candidate and sitting MLA from the area, Jagdish Pradhan.
{{/usCountry}}On the second day of his small-scale group meetings in the run-up to the Delhi elections, Shah canvassed for the party’s candidate and sitting MLA from the area, Jagdish Pradhan.
{{/usCountry}}Shah said the AAP government failed on every front be it infrastructure, hospitals and pollution. “Condition of roads is very poor here. I couldn’t differentiate if there were potholes in the road or the road itself was made in the potholes. They (AAP) said free electricity for 200 units but that is a lie as I found a person with a 88-unit bill of Rs 330 in Karawal Nagar,” Shah said.
On the Ram Mandir issue, he said the Congress did not construct the temple because of vote-bank politics. “For us it is not a matter of politics but a matter of Shraddha (devotion). After Modiji was elected again, the Supreme Court unanimously said Ram mandir should be built. In the next four months, construction work will start,” he said.
Speaking on the Centre’s decision to implement CAA, he said one-third Delhi is filled with the refugees from Pakistan but we consider them brothers. “Where would the religiously prosecuted refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh go? Shall they be given citizenship?” he asked.
Shah hit out at the Arvind Kejriwal government for “not giving prosecution sanction” in the JNU case.
“Two years back, the tukde tukde gang raised anti-India slogans in JNU. We had put them in jail but Kejriwal did not give prosecution sanction. They don’t want them to put behind bars because of vote-bank politics. But we don’t fear the and don’t do vote-bank politics; those who will raise anti-India slogans will be sent to jail,” he said.
Javadekar speaks
Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday said the people of Delhi have to decide if they want “Jinnah Wali Azaadi” or “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, referring to the anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh.
“We have seen ‘Jinnah Wali Azadi” slogans being raised there. Now, Delhi people need to decide if they want ‘Jinnah Wali Azadi’ or ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’,” Javadekar said.
He accused the AAP and Congress for “instigating” violent protests against CAA in Delhi. “Delhi people should ask both parties why did they instigate violence. The nexus of AAP and Congress is behind the Shaheen Bagh protest,” Javadekar alleged.