AAP’s JJ cluster chief Umesh Verma, 100 other workers join Swaraj India

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) jhuggi jhopri cluster cell president Umesh Verma on Saturday joined the newly launched political outfit Swaraj India, led

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) jhuggi jhopri cluster cell president Umesh Verma on Saturday joined the newly launched political outfit Swaraj India, led by Yogendra Yadav.

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No one from the AAP could be reached for a comment despite repeated attempts.

Verma after joining Swaraj India on Saturday said 100 other representatives from Aam Aadmi Party’s JJ cell had made the jump with him. “Workers from slum clusters and unauthorised colonies such as Tuglakabad, Kalkaji, Wazirpur, Moti Nagar, Rajinder Nagar, Lal Bagh and Model town have become member of Swaraj India,” he said.

According to Verma, Delhi has around 30 lakh people living in six lakh jhuggis in 700 clusters. They played a vital role in assuring the victory of AAP in the Assembly election last year.

In a press conference on Saturday, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav blamed AAP leaders for betraying people and not fulfilling any promise made by them .“A AP assured regularisation of unauthorised colonies in Delhi by 2015. It had also promised there settlement of jhuggi clusters. But, none of these promises have been fulfilled.”

The latest development, Swaraj India workers expect, will strengthen the role of the party - constituted barely four days ago by Yadav and lawyer Prashant Bhushan. They were both AAP founding members, who were ousted from the party later after differences with Arvind Kejriwal.

Yadav has been elected as national president of Swaraj India, which emanated from Swaraj Abhiyan.

On Saturday, Yadav also castigated AAP for promoting the policy for relocation/resettlement of slums. “In its party manifesto, AAP leaders assured that jhuggis constructed till 2015 will not be demolished. They had also promised to consult mohalla sabhas before removing/relocating jhuggis in Delhi. But as per a new policy, only the clusters established before 2006 are safe. Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) is also not liable to consult mohalla sabhas a new policy reads,” said Yadav.