New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday firmly defended the recent demolition drive at Madrasi Camp, asserting that the action was taken in strict obedience to multiple court directives.
Speaking to reporters, CM Gupta clarified that the judiciary had ordered the removal of this slum four times to facilitate the cleaning of the Barapullah drain, a major measure aimed at averting future flood disasters in the capital, similar to the devastating events of 2023.
“I have clearly said, that if the court has ordered something, neither the government, nor the administration can do anything about it. The truth about the demolition of Madrasi Camp is that it was set up on the banks of the Barapullah drain. The court had ordered the removal of this slum four times so that machines could be deployed to clean the drain. Otherwise, 2023-like floods would be seen again in Delhi. No one can defy court orders. Residents of that camp have been allotted houses and shifted there,” the Delhi Chief Minister said.
Gupta emphasised that defying court orders was not an option for any government or administration. Crucially, she highlighted that eligible residents of the Madrasi Camp have been successfully allotted alternative housing and relocated.
The demolition drive, which took place on June 1, involved the demolition of 370 encroachments. Of these, 189 residents were deemed eligible for resettlement and have been allocated flats in Narela, while 181 were found ineligible for such provisions.
The Chief Minister also pointed to similar actions taken in other areas, including the Railway Colony, where slums near railway tracks were removed by the railways themselves. Gupta directly challenged Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders for allegedly politicising the matter, questioning who would be held responsible for potential loss of life if court orders were ignored and future floods occurred. “Who would be held accountable if there is a loss of life? Should Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi, or Arvind Kejriwal be held accountable?” she questioned, asserting that the court’s directives were well-reasoned.
Gupta further highlighted the BJP-led Delhi government’s commitment to the capital’s welfare, stating that significant development work worth Rs 700 crores is underway across Delhi, a scale of development she claimed was never achieved by previous Kejriwal or Congress administrations.
Rekha’s reaction comes days after AAP leader and Delhi Assembly LoP Atishi launched a scathing attack on the BJP on June 4. In a post on X, Atishi accused the BJP of reneging on its “jahan jhuggi, wahan makaan” (where there is a slum, there will be a house) promise, alleging they bulldozed the Madrasi Camp immediately after winning the election. Atishi described a scene of despair, claiming women, elderly, and youth at the site expressed regret for voting BJP, believing that if Kejriwal were in power, their homes would have been spared.
“Today, when I went there, women, elderly, youth – everyone cried bitterly. They were saying that they made a mistake by voting for the BJP. If Kejriwal were here, he would not have let our slums be demolished,” Atishi posted on X.
