BJP govt won't last full term: Kejriwal accuses slums being demolished

New Delhi: AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday warned that the Rekha Gupta-led BJP government in Delhi would not last even three years if slum demolitions continue, as he called for a mass movement against the drive from Jantar Mantar.

The AAP organised a massive protest at the site under the banner of the 'Ghar-Rozgaar Bachao' movement.

Senior party leader Gopal Rai challenged that if demolitions continue, people will take over the Prime Minister's residence.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva claimed that the AAP-organised rally "completely failed."

"The announcement of an attack on the Prime Minister's residence has once again revealed the dark, Naxalite-like faces of Kejriwal and Gopal Rai — and they should understand that there is no place for their words in civil society," he added. 

Addressing a gathering of people, many of whom have lived under the threat of eviction for the past five months, Kejriwal alleged that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks of 'Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makaan' in reality, his government's approach translates to 'Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Maidan'.

"Don’t trust PM Modi's guarantees — they are counterfeit, hollow lies," he added.

Hitting out at the Delhi government, he said it has only been five months since the BJP government was formed, and "look at what they’ve done to Delhi already".  "In just five months, they have pushed the city to such a state that people from across Delhi have been forced to gather at Jantar Mantar today to protest against them," he added.

Recalling Delhi's political history, Kejriwal said, "From this same Jantar Mantar, the Anna movement began, and it wiped Congress off the map. If you do not stop demolishing jhuggis, this movement has started from Jantar Mantar today, and your government won't last five years. Rekha Gupta's government won't even survive three years if you continue like this."

Referring to his warning before the elections, Kejriwal said he had released a video message back then, specifically for the poor and marginalised, for the jhuggi residents of Delhi.

"I had even told you that if they come to power, they will demolish your jhuggis within a year, but I never imagined that they would wreck the entire city in just five months," he said.

"We left behind a smoothly running Delhi in February — a city with 24x7 electricity. Now, the entire city faces power cuts," he emphasised and added that the government would even stop providing free electricity within a year.

Pointing to the collapse of civic infrastructure, the AAP chief said in just one rainfall a few days ago, Delhi turned into a drain.

Kejriwal, who first became CM after defeating Sheila Dikshit in 2013, also attacked Congress.

"These people have completely ruined Delhi — just like during Congress rule. You all remember how, before our government, Delhi suffered endless power cuts. Electricity was extremely expensive," he said.

Kejriwal said that it took BJP 25 years to come to power in Delhi, and "even after coming to power, they've done nothing but abuse and spread lies. They’re filing one fake FIR after another — against Manish Sisodia, against Satyendar Jain, against Saurabh Bharadwaj," he said.

Sisodia and Jain are facing an anti-corruption branch (ACB) probe in connection with alleged irregularities in the construction of classrooms. Last week, the ACB registered an FIR against Bharadwaj and Jain for alleged corruption related to delays in hospital construction projects.

Calling out the BJP-Congress nexus, he said, "Both these parties are the same. In the Delhi elections, they joined hands. BJP and Congress have always been together — two sides of the same coin."

He reiterated that only AAP works for the people, for the nation, for real change." "These two parties — Congress and BJP — are like brother and sister, both working together to fool the public," he stressed.

He asked people to take a pledge, "I swear, from today onwards, I will never vote for BJP or Congress. Never again will I support these two parties."

The Delhi unit of Congress accused Kejriwal of shedding crocodile tears and accused him and his government of not doing anything for slum dwellers when they were in power.