Drama over Delhi demolition: Kejriwal calls Rahul a child

“Whenever a slum is demolished, call Rahul Gandhi. I don’t think his party has told him that that Indian Railways comes the Centre and not the Delhi Government”, Kejriwal tweeted.

He had accused the Delhi government and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre for the razing of the slum and asserted that the law had been clearly broken during the demolition. AAP MPs will also be protesting at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi outside the Parliament and they will be joined by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders.

In the next five years, the Delhi government would, under its “Jaha Jhuggi Wahi Makan” policy, allot houses to slum dwellers at the same place where they lived.

Kejriwal is also expected to meet Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and take up the issue of the death of a baby allegedly during the demolition drive.

Prabhu said he will talk to Kejriwal to discuss how people left homeless could be rehabilitated and how land illegally grabbed could be re-taken by the railways.

New Delhi, Dec.14: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said that the Railways should not have conducted the demolition drive in Shakur Basti area at the height of winter.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Government had yesterday ordered magisterial enquiries into the Shakur Basti demolition and the death of the six month-old child.

After meeting Prabhu, Kejriwal said no slums would be demolished without rehabilitation of dwellers, especially those occupying Railways land.

Maken, has sought in his plea that the Railway Ministry and Delhi police be restrained from finishing up any additional eviction or harassment of individuals dwelling in Shakur Basti till applicable rehabilitation has been offered.

“What was the tearing hurry to demolish in December?” the judge asked. The deceased’s parents said they didn’t receive consequential help from anyone. The counsel for railways had no reply. Almost 1,200 tenements at Shakur Basti in West Delhi were pulled down on Saturday, with the railways saying the action was necessary for expanding its infrastructure.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi visited the residents Monday and promised to “fight their battle”.

Amid the raging storm on demolition, the Delhi government is also training its guns on political bigwigs over cases of alleged encroachment of land in upscale colonies.