New Delhi: BJP today took potshots at the AAP government for its direction stopping demolitions in slums and residences in Delhi, saying it was doing “eyewash politics” as there is already a ban on pulling down of such structures since December.
BJP Spokesperson and New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi said the Centre had already statutorily granted unauthorised colonies protection from demolition since December 2014, which Delhi government has now so “glamorously directed”.
“It would seem that the new AAP government is not only selling old wine in new bottles but is now resorting to selling old wine in even older bottles... In their hurry to appear as keepers of poll promises, they are delving into the realm of ‘eyewash politics',” she said.
Lekhi said in December 2014, the Centre had introduced the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Bill, 2014 to protect millions of lives who would have been left bereft had demolitions of unauthorised colonies been carried out.
She said the groundwork has already been set by the Centre on the issue of unauthorised colonies since it took over.
“In this show of political brandishing, instructions were also sent out to organisations such as NDMC and MCD, without having acquired the necessary information that these organisations have been on standby in respect of law passed by the Parliament,” she said.
The BJP leader further said, “I would urge the fledgling AAP government to do its homework before issuing directives for appearances sake, instead of merely moving on the coattails of policies passed by the Centre. It will take more than eyewash and a ruse to grab media headlines to resolve these problems, especially since these are not problems that can be resolved in less than 49 days.”
The party spokesperson said the basic thumb rule that should be followed while taking such steps is to find out what is already on the books and what has already been done by the executive “before springing into meaningless action and putting up a pretense of accomplishment”.
