‘Delhi Betrayed’: Kejriwal, BJP Clash Over Slum Demolitions at Jantar Mantar

A major political confrontation erupted in the national capital on Sunday as former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused the new BJP government of betraying Delhi’s poor by bulldozing slums. At a protest rally at Jantar Mantar, Kejriwal warned the administration of a fresh agitation if the demolitions continue, while the BJP hit back, calling the AAP chief a “double-faced leader” shedding “crocodile tears.”

The showdown marks a significant escalation of tensions just five months after the BJP returned to power in Delhi after a 25-year gap. Kejriwal, addressing a large gathering of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters, alleged that the BJP was clearing slum lands to benefit its “rich friends,” directly contradicting its pre-poll promise of ‘Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makan’ (where there’s a slum, there will be a house).

“It’s been only five months of this BJP government in Delhi, and the people are forced to come to Jantar Mantar to protest,” Kejriwal declared. “Before the elections, I warned you not to vote for them because your ‘jhuggi’ is their target. In this hot weather, they are making the poor homeless.”

The AAP national convener launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister, stating, “PM Modi’s guarantees are fake. He promised ‘Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makan’. The truth is: ‘Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Maidan’ (where there’s a slum, there will be an empty plot). They want to clear your land and hand it over to their friends.”

He issued a stark warning to the new administration led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta: “If you don’t stop bulldozing homes, your government will not complete five years. It will be gone in three years. The Congress government was toppled from this very Jantar Mantar during the Anna Andolan — we will start another andolan if needed.”

Kejriwal also claimed the BJP plans to discontinue the free electricity scheme initiated by his government. “What I say turns out true. I told you they will bulldoze your homes — they did. Now I am telling you they will stop free electricity within a year,” he said.

The BJP responded sharply, dismissing the protest as a “flop show.” Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva accused Kejriwal of hypocrisy and anarchic politics. “The so-called public meeting in the name of jhuggi residents flopped. Kejriwal showed his anarchic and unconstitutional face again,” Sachdeva stated.

“This is the same leader who forced poor slum dwellers out of Delhi during COVID instead of giving them protection. Today he sheds crocodile tears for them,” he added, referencing the mass exodus of migrants during the 2020 lockdown. Sachdeva also claimed Kejriwal, who built a ‘palace’ for himself, failed to allot thousands of ready-to-move-in flats to slum residents in areas like Narela and Bawana.

The BJP defended its actions, asserting its commitment to the ‘Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makan’ scheme. “The BJP government is committed to giving better lives to those forced to live in inhuman conditions near drains and railway lines. We have already rehabilitated families in Kalka Ji, Jailerwala Bagh, Kalandar Colony and Kathputli Colony. The Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makan drive will continue,” Sachdeva affirmed.