AAP threatens to raze Delhi BJP head’s house if MCD bulldozes encroachments in Muslim neighbourhood

Tension has escalated between the BJP and Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi after the party ruling the city state threatened to raze the house of the chief of the local unit of the national party, Adesh Gupta, retaliating to the Delhi Police-assisted MCD drive of bulldozing illegal constructions in the Muslim-dominated neighbourhood of Madanpur Khadar. The AAP has said it will go with bulldozers to Gupta’s house if he does not remove the encroachment by 11 AM tomorrow.

The latest war of words follows the arrest of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan from the Madanpur Khadar area in south-east Delhi yesterday after he intervened to stop the demolitions.

“Adesh Gupta has encroached upon public land for his house and office. We filed complaints but no action was taken,” AAP announced with its characteristic histrionics.

Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had this morning raised an alarm, saying the BJP had a “big plan to extort money” through the threat of bulldozers. He said the BJP planned to demolish 63 lakh houses in the national capital.

Durgesh Pathak, in charge of Delhi AAP civic bodies, alleged that the BJP was extracting Rs 5-10 lakh from people by threatening them that their properties would be razed. “Not one municipal officer, who allowed these illegal constructions, will have their house bulldozed,” he said.

Reacting to the allegation of corruption by the BJP-run municipal bodies, Gupta made a counter-allegation that the local AAP government was helping “illegal Rohingyas and Bangladeshis” settle in Delhi and also encroach public land. The Delhi BJP chief accused AAP politicians also of sheltering illegal immigrants in unauthorised colonies and using them for rioting.

“The AAP has been protecting Rohingya encroachers in Delhi, Rioters who are shielded by AAP leaders. If the Delhi government cared about poor people then you should have implemented the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme in Delhi. You would have provided permanent houses to people who live in the jhuggi jhopdi colonies. So please don’t do politics over bulldozing of properties of Bangladeshis, Rohingyas, terrorists and rioters which is being done by BJP,” he said.