'Bulldozers instead of houses': AAP criticises BJP after mass eviction in Delhi's Madrasi Camp

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has sharply criticised the Delhi BJP government, claiming ''nearly 800 slum homes were demolished in Madrasi Camp, just a day after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta publicly assured that no slums would be touched''.

There was no immediate response available from the Delhi government or the BJP over the allegations.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, AAP's Delhi state president Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP of ''betraying the poor''. He said while the BJP leaders promised permanent housing during elections, they are now using bulldozers to displace the same people they courted for votes.

''Madrasi Camp has existed for 60 years. Before (the Delhi assembly) elections, the BJP leaders played carrom (board) with children and dined in the slums. Today, they have demolished those very homes,'' Bharadwaj said.

According to a government notice, of the approximately 370 families that lived in the settlement, 189 were found eligible for relocation to flats in Narela. Eviction notices were served last month and many families were left without shelter after the demolition on June 1.

The May 30 government notice informed the residents that transport trucks would be available on May 31 and June 1 to assist in shifting. Bulldozers arrived early June 1, backed by police.

The Tamil Nadu government acknowledged that the demolition followed court orders and it offered support to any displaced residents from the state wishing to return home.

Bharadwaj claimed that similar demolitions are ongoing in Wazirpur and criticised the media for remaining silent. ''This is not just policy failure, it's betrayal,'' he said.

The incident highlights growing tensions over slum rehabilitation and political accountability in Delhi, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)