Saurabh Bhardwaj, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from the Greater Kailash assembly seat, has accused the BJP-led central government of demolishing 12 slums in Delhi over the past two years and filing additional court cases to demolish more. He demanded that the BJP withdraw these cases if it truly cares about the welfare of slum dwellers.

Speaking to ANI, Bhardwaj said, “In the past two years, the BJP government and its agencies have demolished around 12 slums in Delhi, and they’ve filed several court cases demanding that more slum clusters be demolished. If the BJP genuinely cares for the slum residents, they should withdraw these cases within the next two days.”

Bhardwaj, who is also the sitting MLA, is contesting the upcoming election against BJP’s Shikha Rai and Congress’ Garvit Singhvi for the Greater Kailash seat.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu criticized AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, asking why slums still exist in Delhi despite his three terms as chief minister. Bittu said, "Kejriwal should explain why slums are still here. He became CM three times, so how do slums still exist in Delhi? Now he’s resorting to ‘slum politics,’ promising a thousand rupees. Doesn’t he feel ashamed? He does the same trick in Punjab and cheats Delhiites in the same way. His time is up now."

In response, Kejriwal, during a public rally, warned slum dwellers about the BJP's motives. He stated, “I want to warn the slum dwellers that these people (from the BJP) are only interested in your votes, not your well-being. After the elections, they will sell off all your land.”

As the Delhi Assembly elections approach, the BJP has launched a special campaign to engage with slum voters. BJP leaders, including MPs and MLAs, have been staying overnight in slum areas to directly connect with residents, promoting their campaign titled “Where There’s a Slum, There’s a House,” backed by the central government.

The Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled for February 5, with vote counting set for February 8. A total of 699 candidates are vying for the 70 assembly seats. The Congress, which governed Delhi for 15 years, has faced defeats in the last two elections, failing to win any seats. In contrast, the AAP emerged victorious in the 2015 and 2020 elections, securing 67 and 62 seats, respectively, while the BJP managed just three and eight seats.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from PTI