Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday said the BJP was responsible for the violence that erupted in Mayapuri during a sealing drive on April 13.
Alleging that the BJP had adopted an “enemy-like approach” towards the traders of Delhi, Mr. Sisodia said the officers that conducted the drive were acting on the instructions of the Centre.
“It is extremely shocking that instead of standing in solidarity with the traders of Mayapuri, the BJP first ordered the Delhi Police to beat them up and brought in paramilitary forces to terrorise them. Is this the way to deal with traders who are very much the residents of Delhi? Are they terrorists ? Why were they treated like this?,” Mr. Sisodia said.
The BJP, fearing unpopularity within the trading community, was trying to shift the blame to the Delhi government by making baseless allegations, he added.
“The Delhi Police is yours [BJP-led Centre], the SDM is yours, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is yours, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is yours and we are blamed. They should have some shame and take accountability for their actions,” Mr. Sisodia said.
‘Bypassed Delhi govt’
Reacting to Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri blaming the AAP government for the violence in Mayapuri, Mr. Sisodia said the responsibility of land allocation was with the Centre and it had bypassed the government in conducting the sealing drive.
Mr. Puri had conceded that these industries were to be relocated and that the responsibility to give land to relocate the industries, according to the NGT order of May 2015 was with the DDA, which was under him, Mr. Sisodia said.
The nodal officers appointed by the NGT on the Mayapuri issue were appointed by the Centre, he said, adding that therefore it was the BJP that needed to take action against them.
Reading from the minutes of a meeting on December 12, 2018, Mr. Sisodia said the DDA had gone on record and informed that the current masterplan does not have any provision for a scrap market in Delhi.
It also stated that the existing scrap market may be allowed to continue at its current location. “The DDA said no land will be provided and Mr. Puri is saying the market will be relocated. When the DDA conveniently denied land relocation of the scrap market, was the Urban Development Ministry sleeping since the 2015 NGT order?,” Mr. Sisodia said.
Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain said he was not informed that some officers of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee were also at Mayapuri.
“I want to know under whose instructions they were there since they did not inform me nor did they take my approval. I am the Environment Minister, how was I bypassed?” Mr. Hussain said, adding that he would ask the L-G to take strict action against the DPCC officers involved.
