New Delhi: AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged slum dwellers to protest against the BJP-led govt’s demolition drives and reject both the BJP and Congress in future elections. Addressing a protest at Jantar Mantar, Kejriwal said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi said ‘Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makan’, but what he meant was ‘Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Maidan’. His promises are false, and I urge you not to fall for them in future.”He alleged that the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi govt has “ruined” the city in just five months. “We left a perfectly fine Delhi. But these people ruined it. There are long power cuts, school fees have been hiked, and their ministers and MLAs are busy looting Delhi,” he charged.Calling for unity among slum dwellers, Kejriwal said, “There are 40 lakh slum dwellers. If you take to the roads, they will be forced to stop the demolitions.” He added, “The Anna movement started from Jantar Mantar and removed the Congress from power. From here, a new movement will begin, and BJP’s hold on power will also be shaken.”He urged people not to vote for either Congress or BJP, calling them “like brother and sister”. “When Congress was in power, there were power cuts and school fees were arbitrarily hiked. For 10 years, we did not let that happen. But after the BJP came to power, the same things are happening again,” he said.Kejriwal also accused the BJP of targeting AAP leaders with FIRs. “They lodged FIRs against Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, and Saurabh Bharadwaj. Stop this game of FIRs and work for the people,” he said. Sisodia and Jain are facing an anti-corruption branch (ACB) probe into alleged irregularities in classroom construction, while Bharadwaj and Jain were recently booked for delays in hospital projects.He said the BJP has a “10-engine govt” controlling various agencies, yet worsened Delhi’s condition in five months. “I told you they will break your jhuggis, you didn’t believe… didn’t they break your jhuggis? Wait for some time, they will stop your free electricity as well,” he said. “In our 10 years, we never displaced slum dwellers. This govt didn’t even wait a year—within five months, they started evictions,” he added.“People who cook in homes, drivers, security guards, the milkman, autowallahs come from jhuggis… if you will destroy their homes, then Delhi would not run even for a day,” he added.AAP leader Atishi said, “This govt promised homes, but is instead evicting people from settlements it used for seeking votes.” Bharadwaj added, “Whenever slums are demolished or colonies labelled illegal, it is AAP that stands with the people.”
