New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Atish on Monday criticized BJP leaders for staying overnight in slum areas of the city as part of their election campaign.
Addressing a public rally, Atish urged voters to focus on long-term welfare rather than short-term promises, stressing that the AAP government was working to improve basic services and raise living standards for the disadvantaged.
“Don’t vote for them (BJP) because ‘salwar kameez, shawls’ and Rs 500 will not meet your needs for five years. Arvind Kejriwal’s job is to provide free electricity, free water, good government schools Education, free mohalla clinic treatment will be enough to meet your needs for five years,” Atish told voters.
Atish added: “Arvind Kejriwal is the only leader who cares about the people of slums. Slum dwellers should be careful of BJP leaders as they will destroy your slum and cut your votes”
The party accuses the BJP of destroying slum settlements and removing the names of slum dwellers from the electoral rolls. Virendra Sachdeva, the BJP’s Delhi unit chief, led party leaders to spend the night in 1,194 slum colonies in the capital to engage with residents and understand their problems.
At a media briefing, Delhi Chief Minister Atish criticized BJP leaders for visiting slums and said their actions of sharing food and taking photos with residents were superficial.
“However, I warn slum dwellers to be wary of them (BJP leaders) as there are many instances of demolition of slums they visit, as happened in Sundar Nagri where they visited a few months ago,” she said.
She further alleged that BJP representatives visited slum areas and subsequently removed the names of residents from the electoral register, citing the example of Ambedkar Basti in Shahdara.
With Delhi assembly elections scheduled for February, the Bharatiya Janata Party has launched an extensive outreach program targeting slum areas, which have historically supported the ruling United Arab Party.
“BJP leaders are communicating directly with slum dwellers to better understand their lives. We understand their struggles,” Sachdeva said during his stay at Rajiv Camp in Krishna Market, east Delhi. The BJP government will work through the Delhi Urban Housing Improvement Program Board) to improve their living conditions.
(with timely input)
