Arvind Kejriwal Issues Bold Challenge to BJP: 'I Won’t Contest Elections If…,' Watch Video
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal visited Shakurpur Basti on Sunday where he criticized the BJP during a press conference. He remarked that as elections draw closer the BJP’s newfound affection for slum dwellers seems to be on the rise. Kejriwal issued a strong statement urging slum residents to reconsider their choices stating, “If the slum dwellers of Delhi vote for BJP it would be akin to signing their own death warrant. The BJP will demolish your slums and displace you. They’ve planned everything. Over the last decade BJP’s actions have rendered three lakh people homeless."
The AAP leader directly challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding that all cases against displaced slum dwellers from the past ten years be withdrawn. He further insisted that an affidavit be filed in court guaranteeing the rehabilitation of slums that were demolished and ensuring displaced residents return to their original land. Kejriwal emphasized, “If the BJP doesn’t fulfill this, I will not contest the elections.”
Criticizing the BJP further, Kejriwal labeled it a party of the affluent, claiming it has ignored slum dwellers for years only to show interest as elections approach. “These leaders now spend nights in slums but in reality they view slum dwellers as insignificant. Amit Shah even gathered slum residents from different areas of Delhi to hurl abuses at me. As the Home Minister, he should maintain dignity but his conduct was shameful,” he said.
Kejriwal accused the BJP of misleading slum dwellers with false promises highlighting that while the BJP claims to build houses where slums exist they never clarify whose houses these would be. “Where there is a slum there is a house—but it’s the house of their builder friends not the slum dwellers,” he said.
Highlighting the BJP’s inadequate efforts over 11 years in power Kejriwal stated, “They’ve constructed only 4,700 houses for slum dwellers even though there are 10 lakh slums in Delhi. At this pace, it would take 1,000 years to provide homes to all slum dwellers.”
He accused the BJP of planning to make people homeless by demolishing slums. Referring to the LG’s December 27 decision to change the land use of a slum, he said BJP leaders are now pretending to sympathize with slum children by playing games with them only to demolish their homes once elections conclude on February 8.
Recalling an incident from 2015, Kejriwal said, “Back then I prevented a slum from being demolished after becoming Chief Minister but tragically a six-year-old girl lost her life during the chaos caused by the bulldozers. Such incidents reflect the BJP’s apathy and insensitivity.”
