Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)

‘BJP at fault for religious tensions’: Opposition flays demolition action

- HT Correspond­ent htreporter­s@hindustant­imes.com

NEW DELHI: The AAP hit out at the BJP for the demolition work carried out at Jahangirpu­ri on Wednesday, alleged that the rival party – in power at the Centre and the civic bodies – was responsibl­e for fomenting religious tensions across the country.

The North Delhi Municipal Corporatio­n deployed bulldozers to demolish purportedl­y illegal constructi­ons at Jahangirpu­ri, where violence broke out on Saturday between Hindu and Muslim groups. Several BJP rivals said the action was a fallout of that incident.

“The existence of the BJP has become synonymous with hooliganis­m and anarchy in India today. BJP leaders are never seen talking about education, health and developmen­t, instead they are seen felicitati­ng hooligans for spreading unrest in the country. The BJP is solely responsibl­e for all the unrest in the country today and the easiest way to get rid of this situation is to run a bulldozer over BJP headquarte­rs,” said Delhi’s deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia.

The senior AAP leader said the BJP must answer why “a huge number of Bangladesh­isrohingya­s were settled across the country in the last eight years of BJP’S reign”.

“They must give an account of how many Bangladesh­is-rohingyas have been settled in different places across the country. On the basis of these figures anyone can predict where the next riots will happen,” Sisodia said.

Commenting on the demolition drive by the north MCD on Wednesday, he asked why did the Bjp-led MCD let the illegal structures flourish in the area in the past 15 years in the first place. “And now that people have settled down, they are staging the demolition drive.

Along with these illegal structures, houses of those BJP leaders should also be demolished under whose reign these illegal structures flourished in the past 15 years. The people of the country want to discuss education, employment and inflation, but the BJP wants people to talk about violence and ruffianism. And moreover, for those who commit violent acts, BJP honours them and welcomes them to the party,” Sisodia said.

CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat visited the demolition site and urged the civic staff to stop the demolition instantly in complying with a Supreme Court order in the morning ordering the drive to be halted.

“At 10:45 am, the SC gave the order to maintain the status quo on the demolition drive, I have come here for the implementa­tion of the order,” she said, before blocking the way of a bulldozer at one point.

 ?? AP ?? CPIM (M) politburo member Brinda Karat stands in front of a bulldozer on Wednesday.
AP CPIM (M) politburo member Brinda Karat stands in front of a bulldozer on Wednesday.

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