The Delhi Development Authority is conducting a drive against illegal encroachment in the Bhoomiheen Camp area near Kalkaji. The demolition Drive comes after an order by the Delhi High Court.
Demolition is part of an extensive anti-encroachment drive by the DDA. A notice to vacate the area was issued to residents on June 9. Five bulldozers (diggers and excavators) were called in to raze around 1,200 illegal huts.
On June 1, a similar drive was carried out at the Madrasi Camp in Jangpura.
The anti-encroachment drive has turned into a political flashpoint as well.
AAP Protests Eviction
Leading the charge on Tuesday against the demolition was Kalkaji MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi, who arrived at the site and joined slum dwellers in protest. Her demonstration, however, was short-lived as the Delhi Police purportedly detained her. She was later released.
"This is not just about demolishing homes. It’s about crushing the voices of the poor," Atishi said before her detention. She directly blamed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Delhi’s newly appointed Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. "BJP's bulldozer started running in the landless camp from 5 AM," she said.
"BJP's bulldozer started running in the landless camp from 5 am in the morning," she posted on X on Wednesday.
AAP’s national convenor and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also weighed in, unleashing a scathing attack on the BJP-led government. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kejriwal wrote, "They ruined Delhi in just three months."