Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. (File)Calling the anti-encroachment drive by the Delhi municipal corporation “cheap and unjustified bulldozer politics”, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah asking him to immediately intervene and stop the illegal demolition drive being carried out by his leaders in Delhi.
Sisodia said the saffron party is planning to raze 63 lakh houses and slums in unauthorised colonies and turn 70 per cent of the population in Delhi homeless.
“The BJP and its leaders crossed all lengths to run its cheap bulldozer politics in Delhi though its period is over in the MCD. I have written a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah to immediately intervene and stop the demolition activity,” Sisodia said.
Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia writes to Union Home Minister Amit Shah in connection with “the ongoing bulldozer drive led by BJP-ruled MCD, which might render around 60 lakh people homeless.” He appeals to HM Amit Shah to hold authorities accountable. pic.twitter.com/qVJnCWa6zH
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He added that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and each and every one of its leaders and party members will take to the roads to oppose and stop the demolition drive. “Delhi has 1,750 unauthorised colonies, where around 50 lakh people are living, and around 10 lakh people in the 860 slum and JJ clusters situated on the authority’s lands. The Delhi BJP is planning to bulldoze all these houses and make the people homeless. The leaders reach one colony every day with their bulldozers. This is just cheap and unjustified politics,” said Sisodia.
The deputy chief minister also informed that notices have been issued to around 3 lakh residents living in authorised Delhi Development Authority (DDA) lands just because they made some modifications and extended their balcony a bit or constructed a small room on their terrace. “There is not a single house and bungalow where such small altercations have not been done,” he said.
Further accusing the BJP and its leaders of corruption, he said, “In the last 17 years, the BJP and its MCD leaders, mayors, councillors and junior engineers filled their pockets and let the people build houses in these authorised colonies. Now, when its time has expired in the MCD, it wants to demolish the houses of these innocent people and make them homeless.”
“Why didn’t you stop it 17 years ago, when people were buying and constructing houses on these unauthorised lands?” he asked.
“This plan of the BJP is very dangerous and will destroy the entire Delhi,” said Sisodia.
“It is my appeal to you to ask your leaders to not do such dangerous politics in the name of bulldozer and demolition drive. Ask the BJP leaders and the MCD mayors, councillors and officials why they gave permission in the first place to construct houses in these areas. Instead of creating trouble in the lives of people by demolishing their houses, conduct a demolition drive in the houses of leaders who gave permission to establish houses and societies in these colonies. I appeal for your immediate intervention in the matter and stop the bulldozer politics,” said Sisodia in the letter.
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