NEW DELHI: AAP supremo and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launched a sharp attack on Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday, challenging him to withdraw cases against slum dwellers and guarantee housing for them. Kejriwal said that he would not contest the upcoming Delhi assembly elections if Shah fulfilled his demands.
“Withdraw all the cases filed against slum residents and submit an affidavit in court guaranteeing that they will receive houses on the same land from which they were evicted. If you do this, I will not contest the elections. I challenge you to accept this. Otherwise, let it be clear—Kejriwal is here to stay,” he said during a press conference in the Shakur Basti area.
Accusing the BJP of prioritising land acquisition over the welfare of slum residents, Kejriwal alleged that the saffron party was only seeking votes while planning to displace residents after the elections. “They are after your votes now, but after the elections, they’ll be after your land,” he said.
The AAP leader also targeted the BJP’s ‘Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makaan’ scheme as a hollow promise, claiming that only 4,700 flats had been constructed for slum dwellers over the past five years. He accused the BJP of intending to clear slums without addressing the residents’ housing concerns. “They want to grab the land and have no regard for the people living there,” he said.
Kejriwal was joined by senior AAP leader Satyendar Jain, who is contesting from the Shakur Basti constituency for the fourth consecutive time. Jain previously won the seat in 2013, 2015, and 2020.
The Delhi assembly elections are set for February 5, with results to be announced on February 8. AAP, which won 62 out of 70 seats in 2020, is aiming for a third consecutive full term in office.
