Raze ‘illegal constructions’ at Delhi BJP chief’s house and office by today: AAP to MCD

NEW DELHI: Alleging that certain portions of Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta’s residence and office were illegal, the AAP on Friday demanded the civic body to demolish those “unauthorised constructions” by 11 am on Saturday, failing which the party will get them razed using bulldozers.

AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said while a section of the media recently reported about the unauthorised constructions at Gupta’s residence, he alleged the BJP leader’s “political office” in West Patel Nagar, too, was an “illegal construction”, and an encroachment on the land belonging to a civic body-run primary school.

Addressing a press conference, Pathak said his party had earlier written to the mayor and commissioner of the civic body concerned demanding a probe into these “unauthorised constructions” but they did not take any action.

“This can’t be done anymore. I demand the BJP-ruled MCD that the unauthorised constructions at Gupta’s residence and his illegal political office be demolished tomorrow by 11 am,” Pathak said.

“Else, we will go to his residence taking bulldozers and bring down the unauthorised constructions there. We will also take action against his illegal office,” he added.

Pathak also slammed the BJP-ruled civic bodies’ antiencroachment drive in the city and asked why “the BJP’s bulldozers” were demolishing the houses of the poor and common people.

“The BJP leaders and the officials of the civic bodies are the main culprits behind all the illegal constructions that have taken place in the city. But no action is being taken against them,” he alleged.

Addressing the media, the senior AAP leader accused the BJP of playing “petty politics to extort people and gain political mileage”, and assured the public

of his party’s support, saying, “We are even willing to go to jail, if necessary.”

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has upped the ante against the anti-encroachment drive a day after it claimed that the demolition of unauthorised constructions will render 63 lakh people homeless in the national capital.

Latching onto the issue, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party also

demanded that polls to elect new municipal corporations be held and these new civic bodies be allowed to decide on the course of action against the unauthorised constructions.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal is set to hold a crucial meeting with his party MLAs on Saturday to chalk out a strategy against the anti-encroachment drive.