NEW DELHI: Delhi BJP leaders, including MPs, MLAs and councillors, held protests in slum settlements across the national capital against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over problems faced by people living in these areas. In a statement, the Delhi BJP said the protests were held at 968 small and large slum clusters in Delhi to highlight the local issues arising from the “negligence” of the AAP government.
Residents of these slums participated in the demonstrations along with BJP workers, it added.
Addressing the participants in the protest held at the Govindpuri slum of the Kalkaji Assembly constituency, South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said that due to the “corruption” of the Kejriwal government, the condition of slum areas has deteriorated.
“There are no proper roads, sanitation or drinking water facilities. Residents of these slums are deprived of basic amenities. Once the BJP forms the government, it will work to fulfil the aspirations of slum residents,” he said.
The Delhi BJP has engaged residents of slum areas through a comprehensive reach-out campaign ahead of the assembly polls due early next year. Slum dwellers comprise a significant section of voters in Delhi and are considered to be mostly voters of the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP.
Delhi BJP general secretary Vishnu Mittal said senior party leaders will stay in slum clusters on December 15 night to interact with people regarding the issues they face.
North West Delhi MP Yogender Chandolia, who led the protest in the JJ colony Bawana, charged that poor condition of toilets and drains and electricity bills have forced slum residents to live in deplorable conditions and the AAP government is responsible for this.
Kamaljeet Sehrawat, West Delhi MP, addressed protesters at the Goyla Dairy slum. He charged that for the past 10 years, the AAP government has treated slum residents merely as a vote bank and as a result of this, they are living in “subhuman conditions today”.
Other BJP MPs, senior leaders such as Parvesh Verma and Ramesh Bidhuri, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, MLAs Abhay Verma, OP Sharma and Jitendra Mahajan and former Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay also participated in the protests in various assembly constituencies.
