AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal issued a bold challenge to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday, vowing not to contest the Delhi elections if the BJP withdraws cases related to slum demolitions and commits in court to rehabilitate displaced residents on the same land within 24 hours.
Kejriwal’s remarks came after Shah, addressing a “Jhuggi Basti Pradhan Sammelan” on Saturday, urged slum residents to “liberate Delhi from this disaster” by voting out AAP, claiming it was the only way to ensure their welfare.
Standing outside the Railway Jhuggi Camp in Shakur Basti alongside MLA Satyendar Jain, Kejriwal positioned himself as a “protector of slums and slum residents.” He accused the BJP of remembering slum dwellers only during elections, calling their recent visits to slums “jhuggi tourism” aimed at garnering votes.
“The BJP, a party of the rich, sees slum residents as insects. Their sudden love for slums is mere drama for votes,” he said.
Kejriwal attacked Shah directly, alleging that the BJP’s “Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makan” promise was a ploy to hand over slum land to builders. He challenged the BJP to withdraw cases against slum dwellers and provide housing guarantees, declaring, “Accept my challenge, or Kejriwal will fight, win, and stand as a shield for slum residents.”
He also accused the BJP-led administration of prioritizing land over slum dwellers post-elections, citing a December 27 decision by the Lieutenant Governor to change Shakur Basti’s land use, allegedly facilitating demolitions.
Additionally, he claimed the Railways issued tenders last September to demolish slums despite promises of housing under the “Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makan” scheme.
Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena refuted Kejriwal’s allegations, calling them lies. He clarified that no land-use change or demolition notices had been issued, urging Kejriwal to stop misleading the public.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva also criticized Kejriwal, accusing him of neglecting slum dwellers during his decade-long tenure. He claimed the AAP government failed to allot 50,000 flats built under the Rajiv Awas Yojana and had done little to improve slum conditions.
The BJP reiterated its promise to provide housing to all homeless residents under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
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