New Delhi — On the opening day of the monsoon session, thousands of Congress supporters, led by Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Shri Devender Yadav, surrounded the Delhi Assembly in a strong protest against the BJP government’s demolition of over 3,000 JJ clusters. This demolition left nearly 15,000 families homeless without any prior notice or alternative housing, uprooting residents who have lived there for 40 to 45 years.
Shri Devender Yadav highlighted that Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, personally visited the displaced families and promised full assistance for their rehabilitation. Following this, the Delhi government under Rekha Gupta announced it would halt slum demolitions unless proper resettlement was arranged. Rahul Gandhi’s intervention, including raising the matter in Parliament, renewed hope among the affected communities. Devender Yadav vowed that Congress workers would continue visiting JJ clusters to show their solidarity and prevent further displacements without adequate resettlement. He criticized BJP leaders, including PM Modi, for making empty promises of housing to slum residents before elections, while their real intention was to push poor families out of Delhi.
Despite facing police barricades, water cannons, and physical resistance, Congress activists held placards condemning the demolitions as inhumane. Their protest outside the Secretariat on the first day of the Assembly session sent a clear message that the BJP government cannot forcibly evict the poor in violation of regulations. During the protest, Shri Devender Yadav was detained and taken to Subzi Mandi Police Station.
The demonstration saw the participation of key leaders such as AICC Delhi Incharge Qazi Nizamuddin, former MPs Ramesh Kumar and Krishna Tirath, Dr. Udit Raj, Sandeep Dikshit, ex-DPCC chief Subhash Chopra, All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba, former Delhi ministers, and many district and local leaders.
Devender Yadav condemned the treatment of slum dwellers under both AAP and BJP governments, noting that their long-time residence and contribution to Delhi’s growth are being disregarded. He demanded that displaced families receive alternate housing in the same locality, citing previous Congress-led resettlement projects at Kalkaji, Ashok Vihar, and Katputhili Colony as successful examples.
Recalling the vision of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Yadav emphasized the need to provide jobs and housing to migrants arriving in Delhi, leading to the creation of 45 resettlement colonies and over 48,000 flats built under the Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government. He criticized the AAP for neglecting slum dwellers by failing to allocate existing flats, halting pensions and ration cards, and not safeguarding slums under court orders. Congress leader Ajay Maken also sought legal protection for these communities.
In the last five months, the BJP government has continued demolitions in areas like Jangpura, Kalkaji, Wazirpur, Ashok Vihar, and near railway lines, mirroring the AAP’s anti-poor stance. According to Yadav, BJP’s approach aims to displace the poor (“garib”) rather than address poverty (“garibi”), blaming DDA and Railways’ ownership of land as an excuse for inaction on resettlement.
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