Congress leaders protest outside Delhi Assembly over demolition of jhuggi clusters

New Delhi, Aug 4 (PTI) Congress leaders and workers led by its Delhi unit president Devender Yadav held a protest outside the Delhi Assembly on Monday, demanding rehabilitation of families affected by the recent demolition of informal settlements across the city.

The protest coincided with the first day of the Monsoon Session, and saw a large turnout of party workers holding placards and raising slogans.

The protesters claimed that over 3,000 JJ clusters had been cleared, displacing more than 15,000 families, many of whom had been living in the city for decades.

Yadav said the Congress was committed to supporting displaced residents and reiterated the party's demand that no jhuggi be removed without prior provision of alternative housing.

He said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had recently met some of the affected families and had raised their concerns in Parliament.

According to a statement, as the protesters moved toward the Assembly, police used water cannons to disperse them. Some scuffles were reported when workers attempted to breach barricades. Yadav was later detained by police and taken to the Sabzi Mandi police station.

Several senior leaders, including former MPs, ex-MLAs, and office-bearers from Congress's various wings, took part in the protest.

Addressing the gathering, Yadav said that previous Congress governments had made significant efforts to provide housing to informal settlers and cited examples like Kathputli Colony and Kalkaji.

He urged the current administration to consider similar models and ensure affected families are resettled near their original locations.

He also recalled the "vision" of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who emphasised "employment and shelter for migrants" in Delhi.

"This approach led to the establishment of multiple rehabilitation colonies and construction of thousands of flats under the Rajiv Ratan Awas Yojana during the Congress tenure," he said.

Yadav alleged that despite coming to power with promises to uplift the poor, the BJP government in Delhi had not prioritised the allotment of existing housing units, many of which lie vacant and are in poor condition.

The Congress urged the Delhi government to halt further evictions until a comprehensive rehabilitation policy is in place.

There was no immediate response from the BJP. PTI SHB RT RT