The ongoing feud between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena over the Shakur Basti slum has taken a new turn, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accusing the LG of lying about the issue. The AAP has presented documents from a recent Delhi Development Authority (DDA) meeting, claiming that the land use for the Shakur Basti area has indeed been changed, contrary to what the LG stated.
The conflict began when Arvind Kejriwal, during a visit to Shakur Basti on Sunday, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "tendering" land for the slum. He further alleged that the Delhi LG had altered the rules regarding land use in the area. In response, LG Saxena called Kejriwal's statement "a complete lie," insisting that no such change had been made.
The AAP, in its counter-response, referred to the DDA’s Technical Committee meeting held on December 20, 2024, where a proposal for changing the land use of 4.63 hectares of railway land in Shakur Basti was discussed. The land was previously designated for transportation purposes and is now being considered for residential development.
According to the documents shared by the AAP, the proposal for the land use change was approved, subject to the submission of a Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) report for the overall development planned by the Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA) in the area.
"Documents clearly show that the land use of the slum area was changed," the AAP said in a statement. "LG's claim has been exposed as a lie, and he should apologize for misleading the public."
However, LG Saxena dismissed the AAP's claims, reiterating that no change in land use had been made for the Shakur Basti colony. He also refuted Kejriwal’s statement about eviction or demolition notices, stating that no such action had been taken by the DDA. "Kejriwal is deliberately misrepresenting the facts and misleading the public," Saxena added.
The dispute over Shakur Basti has sparked a war of words between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor, with both sides accusing each other of mismanagement and misinformation. As the controversy continues, the political stakes over the future development of the area remain high.
(ANI inputs)