AAP questions BJP’s stand on jhuggis post-election

Less than two months after the Delhi Assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the Centre of going back on its promises to jhuggi dwellers by launching demolition drives and relocating families to far-off areas. AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj on Monday said the BJP has betrayed its “Modi Guarantee” of “Jahaan Jhuggi, Wahaan Makaan” and is now snatching roofs from over the heads of the poor.

Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj alleged that nearly 500 families living in Madrasi Camp, Jangpura — many of them from Tamil Nadu — are being uprooted and relocated 40–50 km away to Narela, where even basic amenities like drinking water are unavailable.

“During the elections, BJP leaders went door-to-door distributing Modi Guarantee cards in these jhuggis. Now, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which is controlled by the BJP-led Centre, is issuing eviction notices to these very residents. What happened to that guarantee?” he asked.

Bharadwaj warned that the mass relocation would disrupt the lives and livelihoods of hundreds.

The AAP leader also pointed out the poor condition of the Narela flats offered as rehabilitation, stating that residents who visited the site found no provision for potable water. “How does the government expect them to live in such conditions? Is this the dignity that was promised?” he asked.

Calling the BJP’s actions “a betrayal of trust,” Bharadwaj accused the party of pretending to care for the poor during the elections only to turn its back on them afterwards. “Before polls, BJP leaders held ‘Jhuggi Samman Yatras’ and even spent nights in these jhuggis. But now, their real face is visible.”

He reiterated AAP’s demand that any relocation should be carried out within a 5-kilometre radius, as per Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) guidelines. “Anything else violates the law and disrespects the dignity of the urban poor,” he said.

He also appealed to Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and the people of Tamil Nadu to take note of the treatment of Tamil-origin residents in Delhi. “While the BJP seeks votes in Tamil Nadu, it is evicting Tamil families in Delhi who’ve lived here for 40–50 years. I urge CM Stalin to speak out against this injustice,” he said.

Delhi