New Delhi: The anti-encroachment demolition drive by the Railways on Saturday in the national capital has now turned into a full blown political war. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi visited the demolition site 48 hours after the incident and slammed both Central and state governments for it.
Rahul said, "I will raise slum demolition issue in Lok Sabha. You people don't worry, I will try my best to help you. I will not let them demolish slums."
The Union government defended Railways in Parliament saying that encroachments were a hurdle in the expansion of rail infrastructure.
"The encroachments were a hurdle in the expansion of the Railway. Notices were sent and encroachers were adviced to vacate the land but the encroachers did not respond. The operation was peaceful. The child being said to have died had died much before the encroachment drive. I would invite the Delhi Chief Minister for talks on as to how initiate the development work for the people," said Railways Minister
An united Opposition cornered the Narendra Modi government in Parliament on the issue. Aam Aadmi Party and Trinamool Congress MPS protested before the Gandhi statue in parliament today. AAP has further upped the ante by ordering a magisterial probe into the incident.
"When Arvind Kejriwal raises issue of poor people in Delhi about Shakur Basti, then again people are saying why is he raising these issues. The problem with people like Rahul Gandhi is that that they are born with a silver spoon, they do not know what is poverty, what is winter and if somebody is without a house, what it feels. And a child is dead and he (Rahul) has woken up now. Both BJP, Congress are threatened and both live in a traumatised state when it comes to the AAP," said AAP spokesperson Ashutosh.
Backing AAP, TMC MP Derek O'Brien called BJP a heartless party. "On the coldest winter day, 200 people were evicted that is the saddest part. Development cannot happen in a heartless manner. This is bulldozing. Railways have a social responsibility, which didn't take place yesterday," said Derek.
A fresh confrontation raged between the Arvind Kejriwal Government and Centre over the death of the infant girl at a slum cluster at Shakur Basti Railway Colony that was demolished by Railways on Saturday.
Enraged over a demolition drive that has been blamed for the death of the 6-month-old baby, Kejriwal has said he has sought a meeting with Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu over the issue.
"Sought an appointment with Railway Minister, Sh Suresh Prabhu ji," Kejriwal wrote on Twitter.
Terming the incident as inhuman, Delhi Minister Satyendra Jain alleged the demolition was carried out "to teach a lesson" to these people who had voted for Arvind Kejriwal.
"Without making any alternative arrangements for them, their houses were demolished. The demolition was carried out to teach a lesson to these people who had voted for Arvind Kejriwal. In the process an infant girl has died and the post-mortem has revealed that she had received severe head injury and that her ribs had broken," said Jain.
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