AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah, declaring that he would not contest the Delhi elections if the central government withdrew all cases related to slum demolitions and submitted an undertaking in court to rehabilitate displaced people on the same land from which they were evicted.
Positioning himself as the “protector of slums and slum residents,” Kejriwal criticized the BJP for remembering slum-dwellers only during elections. “We saw recently how BJP leaders spend a night in different slums. Why now? Why didn’t you come here to sleep at night 10 years ago? All this jhuggi tourism is nothing but a drama to get votes. The BJP is a party of rich people. They think of jhuggi people as keeda makoda (insects). Do you think they are spending time here because they love jhuggi residents? No, they are showing love because they want votes from you,” he said while addressing a gathering outside the Railway Camp in the Shakur Basti constituency.
Kejriwal alleged that the BJP prioritizes land over the welfare of slum-dwellers, pointing to the lieutenant governor’s decision to change the land use of the Shakur Basti slum area to facilitate demolitions on December 7. He also accused the Railways of floating a tender to demolish the railway camp slum last September.
“This railway camp here, people are thinking they will get a house under the Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makan scheme, while the BJP already came up with a detailed plan to clear this area three months ago. If you vote for them and make them win, they will make you homeless in no less than two months,” Kejriwal warned. “They don’t love jhuggi people or care about anyone. They care only about their friends and political ambitions.”
Criticizing Shah directly, Kejriwal said, “In an event yesterday, Shah called people from several jhuggis and abused me. BJP says jahan jhuggi wahan makan. We also believe in this scheme. But jahan jhuggi wahan kiska makan? Jhuggi walon ke liye? Nahi. Jahan jhuggi wahan inke dost ka makan, builders ka makan. Everyone knows who they are.”
He issued a direct challenge to the BJP, stating, “Withdraw all the cases you have filed against the people of jhuggis, and submit an affidavit in court that you will give houses to all those people on the same land where they lived earlier… I will not contest the elections. I give you this challenge, accept it. Otherwise, Kejriwal will not go anywhere, but will fight the elections, win and stand for the slum people like a pillar and will not let you demolish their houses.”
Kejriwal further claimed that under the BJP’s Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makan scheme, only 4,000 houses had been built for slum residents, despite the existence of four lakh slums in Delhi. “It would take the saffron party at least a thousand years to provide housing for all these people. The reality is that they have no intention to construct houses for the poor. They are merely considering replacing slums with houses and commercial buildings for their rich friends,” he added.
“If you vote for BJP, it will be like signing your own suicide note. The BJP has plans to demolish all the jhuggis in Delhi. They will demolish all the slums within a year of forming a government. I was the one chief minister who woke up all the bureaucrats and reached the spot at midnight to stop the demolition process. I had saved several demolitions as CM,” he said.
Recalling past demolitions, Kejriwal read out the names of slums that had been razed, stating, “I failed to save three lakh people’s houses. I am not in politics for money; I am here to serve you. Aap nahi toh mai nahi.”
