Politics over slum demolitions in Delhi intensified on Sunday with AAP supremo and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal accusing the ruling BJP of rendering poor people homeless, while the latter justified the action against dwellings of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis who allegedly pose a security threat to others. The Congress also attacked Kejriwal for shedding crocodile tears for slum dwellers and slammed him for not rehabilitating even a single poor family during his 11-year rule in Delhi. Addressing a protest organised by the AAP at Jantar Mantar for the Ghar-Rozgar Bachao movement, Kejriwal launched a citywide agitation against demolitions by calling 45 lakh slum dwellers to unite and accused the BJP of unleashing bulldozers on slums within five months of coming to power. He urged the slum dwellers to reject both the BJP and Congress in future elections. Kejriwal said that it is only been five months since they (BJP) formed the government and already the situation in Delhi has deteriorated so badly that people have had to gather here. He said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makan, but what he meant was Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Maidan. His promises are false and I urge you not to fall for them in future. The AAP national convener alleged that the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government had ruined the city in the past five months. We had left a perfectly fine Delhi. But these people have ruined it. There are long power cuts, school fees have been hiked, and their ministers and MLAs are busy looting Delhi, he charged. Calling on slum dwellers to unite, he said, There are 40 lakh slum dwellers. If you take to the roads, they will be forced to stop the demolitions. Explaining how demolitions destroy livelihoods too, Kejriwal further added that wherever jhuggi residents live, they earn their livelihood close by. The women work in nearby homes as domestic workers, men take up jobs as drivers or security guards nearby. Once their jhuggis are demolished, they lose both their homes and their source of income. Their entire livelihood collapses. When Congress was in power, there were power cuts and school fees were arbitrarily hiked. For 10 years, we did not let that happen. But after the BJP came to power, the same things are happening again, he added. Kejriwal also accused the BJP of targeting AAP leaders by lodging FIRs against them. Reacting to Kejriwals claim, BJP MP from South Delhi Ramvir Singh Bidhuri has described the rally of Aam Aadmi Party in Jantar Mantar as a failed attempt to re-establish Arvind Kejriwals politics of lies. He said that the poor living in the slums of Delhi know that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fulfilling the promise of Jahan jhuggy wahin makaan and thousands of concrete flats have been built and given to them while not even a single slum dweller has been given a house during the rule of Aam Aadmi Party. Bidhuri said that Kejriwal, who was rejected by the people of Delhi just five months ago, has again reached the public with the politics of lies. Delhi BJP President, Virendra Sachdeva, stated that the public rally called by the Aam Aadmi Party in the name of slum residents was an utter flop, and when AAP leaders addressed the gathering, their anarchic and unconstitutional character was exposed once again. Sachdeva said that for nearly a month, the entire AAP leadership had been spreading confusion, but the slum dwellers of Delhi not only rejected this false campaign, they are now asking AAP leaders: What have you done in ten years to improve the lives of slum residents ? Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav said Kejriwal has been showing fake sympathy for slum dwellers. Kejriwal is shedding crocodile tears today but has no explanation for not rehabilitating even a single slum dweller in the past 11 years, said Yadav.    

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