AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, in a fiery press conference today, launched a scathing attack on the BJP, accusing the party of exploiting slum dwellers for votes while neglecting their welfare. In a prior post on social media platform X, Kejriwal had hinted at making a major announcement, which he detailed during the event.
Criticising BJP's slogan, “Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makaan” (Where there’s a slum, there will be a house), Kejriwal called it misleading. “They never specify whose house they are referring to. The truth is, BJP plans to replace slums with houses for their rich builder friends. Everyone knows who their friends are,” he said.
Highlighting BJP’s poor performance, he pointed out that the party has built only 4,700 houses in the last decade. “At this rate, it will take a thousand years to build enough houses for slum dwellers. The reality is, they have no intention of building homes for the poor,” Kejriwal remarked.
He alleged that BJP plans to demolish all slums in Delhi within the next five years, leaving thousands of families homeless. Kejriwal credited his government with preventing slum demolitions, claiming, “If I weren’t here, these slums would have been razed a decade ago. BJP doesn’t care about people’s lives, only about their wealthy friends.”
Pointing to a recent development, Kejriwal revealed that the Lieutenant Governor had changed the land use of the Shakur Basti slum area on December 7, paving the way for demolitions. “They have detailed plans to demolish every slum in Delhi. Within a year, they will displace all residents. No one will be spared,” he alleged.
In a bold move, Kejriwal challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take immediate action to prove BJP’s commitment to slum dwellers. “I challenge Amit Shah to withdraw all court cases related to slum demolitions from the last ten years. File an affidavit guaranteeing that all displaced families will be rehabilitated on the same land. If you don’t do this, I won’t contest elections,” Kejriwal declared.
He also criticised Shah for using derogatory language against him in a recent speech, calling it unbecoming of a Home Minister.
Kejriwal warned slum dwellers of the consequences of voting for BJP, saying, “A vote for BJP is like signing your own death warrant. They will demolish all slums within a year.”
As the elections near, Kejriwal has positioned himself as a protector of Delhi’s underprivileged, turning slum rehabilitation into a key electoral issue. Whether his remarks resonate with voters will be revealed in the coming weeks.