Rahul Gandhi vows not to allow demolition drive in Delhi

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday visited the demolition site in Shakur Basti and blamed both the Centre and the Delhi government for the demolition of over 1,200 shanties and the death of an infant.

Mr Gandhi visited the demolition site at around 11.40 am with Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken and AICC leader in-charge of Delhi P.C. Chacko and hundreds of people gathered to either talk to him or to catch a glimpse of him.

The Congress vice-president promised Mohammad Anwar, who lost his six-month-old daughter during the demolition, that he will raise the issue in Parliament. “I won’t let demolition happen anywhere in the city. Whenever, any such thing happens, call Rahul Gandhi. Our party is not in power both in Centre and in Delhi, but I am with you all in this fight,” Mr Gandhi told the now-homeless slumdwellers.

Mr Gandhi criticised both the NDA government and the city government. “Modi sarkar & Kejriwal sarkar are responsible for what has happened. But now they are busy blaming each other. Instead, they should provide help to the people who have been displaced & rehabilitate them,” he tweeted.

The Delhi Congress has set up relief camps for the affected people.

“The Delhi Congress has set up three relief camps in the area where arrangements have been made to provide meals, blankets and medical treatment to the uprooted people,” said Mr Maken.

Mr Gandhi’s visit to Shakur Basti led to another political row. Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal reacting to Mr Gandhi’s attack on the AAP and the BJP, tweeted: “Rahul Gandhiji is still a kid. His party has perhaps not told him that Railway comes under the Central government, not Delhi government.”

Last year in November, Mr Gandhi had visited the Rangpuri Pahadi slums on the southern edge of Vasant Kunj, where demolition of around 900 housing units had taken place. Mr Gandhi had also started a Congress helpline number so that slumdwellers could reach him or the party officials at any time.