Arvind Kejriwal Offers Not to Contest Delhi Elections if BJP Guarantees Slum Rehabilitation
New Delhi, 13th January 2025: AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday, stating he would refrain from contesting the Delhi elections if the BJP withdrew cases related to slum demolitions and pledged in court to rehabilitate displaced individuals on the same land within 24 hours.
Kejriwal’s remarks came a day after Shah, addressing a ‘Jhuggi Basti Pradhan Sammelan,’ urged slum dwellers to “free Delhi from this aapda (disaster),” referring to AAP. Shah claimed removing AAP was the only way to secure slum dwellers’ welfare.
Speaking at the Railway Jhuggi Camp in Shakur Basti, accompanied by MLA Satyendar Jain, Kejriwal positioned himself as the “protector of slum residents.” He criticized the BJP, accusing them of remembering slum dwellers only during elections.
“The BJP’s recent visits to slums are mere theatrics for votes. They ignored slum dwellers for years and are now engaging in ‘jhuggi tourism.’ The BJP, a party of the affluent, sees slum residents as insignificant. Their current outreach is not out of love but for votes,” Kejriwal claimed.
Targeting Shah, Kejriwal said, “In his event, Shah criticized me while claiming support for the ‘Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makan’ scheme. But the reality is different. They aim to replace slums with accommodations for builders and their associates, not slum residents.”
Kejriwal issued a direct challenge: “Withdraw all cases against slum residents and submit a court affidavit promising homes for displaced people on their original land. If you do this, I won’t contest the elections. But if you refuse, I will fight and protect slum dwellers from demolitions.”
He accused the BJP of prioritizing land over slum residents, citing the December 27 decision by the Lieutenant Governor to alter the land use of Shakur Basti. Kejriwal also alleged that the Railways floated a tender last September to demolish the railway camp slum.
“At this camp, residents believe they’ll get homes under the ‘Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makan’ scheme, but the BJP already planned to clear the area months ago. If you elect them, they’ll render you homeless within two months,” Kejriwal warned.
Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena dismissed Kejriwal’s claims as false, clarifying that the DDA had not changed the land use or issued any eviction notices. Saxena accused Kejriwal of misleading the public and warned of possible action from the DDA.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva countered Kejriwal’s statements, accusing him of neglecting slum rehabilitation over the past decade. He criticized Kejriwal for allowing 50,000 flats under the Rajiv Awas Yojana to deteriorate without allocation and failing to improve slum dwellers’ living conditions.
Sachdeva said, “For over a decade, Kejriwal has provoked people instead of uplifting them. He should explain what his government has done to rehabilitate slum residents effectively.”
The BJP promised to provide homes for all homeless individuals in Delhi under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, reiterating their commitment to slum rehabilitation.
