Another resident of the Shakur Basti, Mohd Nizam, said that there were not adequate facilities and demanded that the government should provide them with shelters so that they can survive in this cold weather. Kejriwal rebutted Rahul saying the latter was “still a kid” and that probably the Congress had not apprised him of the fact that the Railways, which carried out the razing, fell under the central government.
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AAP also tried to target the Centre by raising the issue of demolitions carried out by railway police, which comes under railway minister Suresh Prabhu.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday no shanties will be razed without prior rehabilitation of people after he met railway minister Suresh Prabhu amid allegations that an infant died in the demolition of a slum built on railway land.
The Railways had demolished some 500 hutments at Shakur Basti on Saturday, leaving hundreds homeless in the winter chill.
“The post-mortem report has also come which states its death due to shock on chest and face”, he added. “This should be done without regard to the legality of the Shakur Basti slum as it existed”, the bench said. “From now on, there will be no demolition without rehabilitation”.
In the Lok Sabha, AAP’s Bhagwant Mann said the razing was an “atrocity on the poor”.
“Rahul Gandhi is a “kid”. But we will try to protect you…. AAP MLA Somnath Bharti, a Delhi government representative in Delhi Development Authority (DDA), after pointing out at least three instances of encroachment by BJP and Congress leaders, has now initiated a move to compile a list of such encroachments across the city.
The court’s direction came on a public interest litigation filed by senior congress leader Ajay Maken, who sought that the ministry and Delhi police should be restrained from carrying out any further eviction or harassment of people living in Shakur Basti until all appropriate rehabilitation has been provided.
Describing the meeting with Prabhu as “very good”, Delhi CM said, “It was a good discussion”. So, therefore, to remove them or throw them without giving them an alternative…
Senior railway officials had met Kejriwal on Sunday explaining the need for the removal of encroachment on railway land.
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“Currently we have given 594 houses to shift them in a peaceful manner with police. It is central government’s policy that till alternate arrangements are made, no demolition can take place”, he said.
