Month after demolitions, Rahul Gandhi drops in at Delhi’s Ashok Vihar

“Rahul ji patiently heard every story — from schoolkids who cannot attend classes anymore, to families who said their homes were demolished despite having court stays…there has been no electricity for the past 2-3 weeks because the electricity poles were uprooted during the demolition,” said Nayak.

In videos shared on Congress’s official social media account on X, Gandhi was seen standing amidst residents, many of whom said that their houses were razed despite ongoing court proceedings.

Gandhi was seen standing amidst residents, many of whom said that their houses were razed despite ongoing court proceedings. (INCIndia on X)

“He has assured us that we are going to move court, and we are also going to fight this battle on the street, in Parliament. We cannot fight in the Delhi Assembly because we have no MLAs there and because those who have representation are not raising the matter. We will ensure that justice prevails. We have asked our team to follow up with the people and take the matter to court…most likely, we will pick it up in Parliament too,” she added.

Nayak’s words underline the Congress’s political isolation in Delhi and its attempt to reframe itself as a voice for the jhuggi-jhopri clusters, stepping into a vacuum left by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), whose 10-year foothold in the national capital ended after being defeated by the BJP in this year’s Assembly elections.

Over the past month and a half, jhuggis in Junpura’s Madrasi Camp, Batla House, Taimoor Nagar, and Kalkaji’s Bhoomiheen Camp have been razed. Jhuggis along the railway line in Wazirpur were also demolished, citing ‘line of visibility’ requirements.

The slum cluster that Gandhi visited was an extension of the Wazirpur railway track area.

“The notice was to remove the upper construction, but instead of partial removal, they brought everything down,” Nayak alleged. “This area has thousands of workers who have lived here for years. Even those who managed to get temporary relief from courts have had their homes demolished,” she added.

While around 500 families were declared ineligible during the rehabilitation survey, those who received allotments in flats built by the Delhi Development Authority for in-situ rehabilitation complained of a lack of facilities. “Those who have been shifted to government rehabilitation flats in Jailorwala Bagh complained of choked sewers, dry taps, and zero maintenance. They have paid for everything, but they are not even getting adequate facilities in return,” Nayak said.

She slammed the ruling BJP and AAP, saying, “Neither Arvind Kejriwal nor local Chief Minister Rekha Gupta have come here. These people voted for AAP and BJP, not Congress. Still, it is only Rahul ji who has walked into these broken homes and listened.”

Gandhi’s visit comes at a time when AAP has been accusing the BJP of carrying out the demolitions. Earlier, BJP minister Majinder Singh Sirsa had referred to those whose houses have been demolished as “Rohingyas”.

Commenting on the demolitions, CM Gupta had earlier cited court orders and said, “If people are not willing to leave slums after being given a Rs 35 lakh flat in a good area, then it is wrong… The previous governments, neither the Congress nor the AAP, provided houses to slum dwellers.”