People's Democracy

DELHI

Halt The Illegal Demolition Drive: CPI(M)

THE CPI(M) Delhi state committee has strongly condemned the brutal repression unleashed by the Delhi police on the residents of Kanchanpuri on the Yamuna Pushta. Hundreds, including large numbers of women and children have been injured in the police lathicharge on those peacefully protesting against the demolition of their homes. Male policemen have been used to brutally attack women protestors, making a mockery of law. These events are the direct consequence of the inhuman and illegal demolition drive being conducted at Yamuna Pushta at the behest of the Tourism minister, Jagmohan with the concurrence of the Election Commission. They also lay bare the real anti-poor face of the BJP central government.

The CPI(M) state committee in a statement on March 24 also expressed its strong opposition to the approval given by the Election Commission for demolition of jhuggis located on the Yamuna Pushta just at the time of the Lok Sabha polls. “Through this act the election commission has become a party to the nefarious designs of Jagmohan to deny thousands of voters in this area their fundamental right to vote for ensuring his victory from the New Delhi seat. It is indeed shocking that the election commission has accepted Jagmohan’s argument about his ‘beautification’ project on the Yamuna Pushta suffering incalculable damage if the jhuggi clusters there are not removed immediately. The plea that those displaced from the Pushta will be provided with transport on the polling date to enable them to come and cast their votes is meaningless given past experience in this regard”, stated the CPI(M)

The CPI(M) charged that these demolitions are being done in violation of all accepted procedures. The survey on whose basis alternate plots are being allocated at Holambi Kalan is four years old. The government has refused to conduct a new survey. Procedures regarding filing of objections and claims have also been violated with impunity, it said. According to the Party, the intention of the central government is to get rid of the maximum number of families without providing any alternative plots. This was clear from the fact that while 75,000 families dwell on the Yamuna Pushta, the resettlement site at Holambi Kalam has place for only 19,000 families.

The CPI(M) felt that the election commission has obviously not cared to consider whether proper procedures have been followed or not. Nor has it cared to verify whether the ‘beautification’ plan of Jagmohan is in itself legal or not. “If the election commission had consulted the Master Plan and the Zonal plans, the illegality of Jagmohan’s project would have become amply clear to it.  Moreover, matters relating to Urban Planning and what constitutes legal development do not fall in the purview of the election commission and as such it should not issue directives on such issues”, felt the Party.

It demanded an immediate halt to the demolition drive on the Yamuna Pushta. It also demanded immediate rescinding by the election commission of its directive permitting demolition on the Yamuna Pushta. Anything short of this can only be construed to mean abetment by the Election Commission in denying thousands of voters their right to vote as well as providing legality to Jagmohan’s illegal ‘beautification’ project, asserted the CPI(M).