�New Delhi: In a bold political statement, Union home minister Amit Shah announced on Sunday that every slum dweller in Delhi will receive a pucca house, further pledging that no welfare schemes for the poor will be discontinued if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forms the government. Addressing approximately 3,000 representatives of slum communities during the 'Jhuggi Basti Pradhan Sammelan' at JLN Stadium, Shah vehemently criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leadership, asserting that the AAP government has failed to deliver on its promises.
Shah, a senior BJP leader, took the stage with the crowd chanting "Jai Shri Ram," commemorating the first anniversary of the consecration of Ram Lalla's idol at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He launched a scathing attack on AAP, labelling it an "Aapda" (disaster) for Delhi, and accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and leader Manish Sisodia of betraying the slum dwellers by neglecting their needs.
“When we talked of Ram Temple, Kejriwal said toilets need to be constructed. When Article 370 was scrapped, he said people need houses. Modi ji gave toilets as well as houses to the poor people, not Kejriwal,” Shah stated.
Challenging AAP’s performance, Shah claimed that the party has failed to improve living conditions for slum residents, highlighting issues such as water shortages, inadequate sewage systems, and excessive garbage accumulation. He promised that the BJP would address these problems in its manifesto and ensure the implementation of welfare schemes.
Shah also criticised Kejriwal’s announcement of Ramesh Bidhuri as the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls, questioning his authority to make such decisions. “Can Kejriwal decide the BJP's chief ministerial face?” he asked, adding that the AAP supremo’s manipulations are well understood by the people of Delhi.
Further, Shah condemned Kejriwal for allegedly prioritising expensive projects like building toilets in the “Sheesh Mahal” over addressing the basic needs of the slum population. “Lies, betrayal, and going back on promises,” he accused Kejriwal of, pointing out that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ensured housing, ration, affordable medicines, loans, and cooking gas for the poor, Kejriwal has not delivered similar benefits in Delhi.
Highlighting national schemes, Shah praised Ayushman Bharat for benefiting the entire nation but criticised AAP for neglecting its implementation in Delhi. “The entire nation benefited from the Ayushman Bharat scheme, but the people in Delhi suffered because AAP played petty politics by not implementing it in the city,” he asserted.
Addressing the crowd, Shah assured that the BJP would maintain and enhance welfare schemes, countering AAP’s claims that the BJP would demolish slums if elected. “I want to reiterate what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said earlier: no welfare schemes for the poor will be stopped,” he declared. As Delhi prepares for the Assembly polls on February 5, with votes to be counted on February 8, Shah vowed that the slum dwellers would play a pivotal role in unseating the AAP government. “The slum dwellers will become the liberators of Delhi and uproot the AAP government,” he proclaimed, referencing ongoing issues like the Yamuna River pollution and the construction of the lavish “Sheesh Mahal.”