BJP leaders are shamelessly issuing threats to people saying they’ll get bulldozers run over their houses if they don’t pay up bribes: Atishi
BJP has a rate-card for extortion; as soon as someone tries to encroach land, BJP leaders reach the site to charge them on the basis of ‘bribe per square metre’: Atishi
BJP’s days in the MCD are limited now; this is nothing but an elaborate plan to cheat, loot and extort money from Delhiites: Saurabh Bhardwaj
It is my word, wherever BJP leaders are found harassing and looting the public, AAP workers will catch hold of them and drag them to the police: Saurabh Bhardwaj
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has appealed to all AAP MLAs to stand by the people of Delhi and protect them from BJP’s extortion: Saurabh Bhardwaj
This is not a scam but a business running under the leadership of BJP’s Adesh Gupta; first they minted crores of rupees by promoting illegal construction now they are charging bribes from the same people: Sanjay Singh
AAP’s MLAs and leaders have received multiple complaints from societies saying BJP leaders are threatening them of demolishing their houses if they are not paid bribes: Sanjay Singh
NEW DELHI
The Aam Aadmi Party exposed the real motive of BJP’s bulldozer-politics model today. Senior AAP Leaders MLA Ms Atishi, MLA Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj and Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sanjay Singh launched a scathing attack at the BJP accusing its leaders of blatantly running extortion rackets in the state in the name of bulldozing houses. MLA Ms Atishi said, “BJP’s bulldozer justice model is nothing more than a trick to harass Delhiites and extort money from people. BJP leaders are shamelessly issuing threats to people saying they’ll get bulldozers run over their houses if they don’t pay bribes. BJP has a rate-card for extortion — as soon as someone tries to encroach land, BJP leaders reach the site to charge them on the basis of ‘bribe per square metre’.” At the same time, Chief Spokesperson Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj said, “BJP’s days in the MCD are limited now; this is nothing but an elaborate plan to cheat, loot and extort money from Delhiites. It is my word, wherever BJP leaders are found harassing and looting the public, AAP workers will catch hold of them and drag them to the police. Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has appealed to all AAP MLAs to stand by the people of Delhi and protect them from BJP’s extortion.” While, MP Shri Sanjay Singh said, “This is not a scam but a business running under the leadership of BJP’s Adesh Gupta. First they minted crores of rupees by promoting illegal construction now they are charging bribes from the same people. AAP’s MLAs and leaders have received multiple complaints from societies saying BJP leaders are threatening them of demolishing their houses if they are not paid bribes.”
AAP Senior Leader and MLA Ms Atishi said, “Over the past few days we have been witnessing how the BJP is practising its bulldozer politics in Delhi. BJP state president for Delhi wrote a letter to North MCD to demolish all illegal settlements in encroached areas of the area, after which the officials reached Jahangirpuri with a bulldozer. Following this, Adesh Gupta wrote a similar letter to the South as well as East MCD mayors directing them to carry out demolitions in all those places in their respective municipalities where people have encroached and illegally constructed properties. This raises the single most important doubt in the minds of Delhi residents – that what is this ‘bulldozer’ politics that the BJP is indulging in, and why are BJP leaders and its state president hell bent on resorting to demolitions and ‘bulldozing’. Every single person living in Delhi is well aware that over the past 15 years that the BJP has held power in the MCD, all the encroachment and illegal construction that has taken place in the state has been enabled and supported by the BJP itself. It is a known fact that BJP’s leaders and councillors are always the first ones to arrive at an illegal construction site to extort money by the square foot. Then, what caused this sudden change of heart that the BJP suddenly resorted to bulldozing the same encroachments they made money out of?”
She added, “However, in the past two days, we have received numerous complaints from various localities in Delhi – people have approached AAP MLAs with their grievances, exposing the reality of BJP’s bulldozer politics. People from areas like Green Park, Mayur Vihar, Kalkaji, Shalimar Bagh, and so on have brought to the notice of our MLAs that BJP councillors are showing up at their homes and extorting money by threatening to run a bulldozer over their homes if they do not comply. It is the ground reality of Delhi for almost every residence to have minor illegal constructions in its premises like extension of a roof or balcony, extra rooms on terraces, and so on. Now, taking advantage of this reality, the BJP councillors are going to each and every corner of Delhi to threaten and extort money from innocent people in the name of these ‘illegal’ additions. The BJP is well aware that their MCD tenure will most definitely expire on the 18th of May, and its 15 year long tyranny and misgovernance will finally come to an end. So, this bulldozer politics that the BJP is suddenly practising is nothing but another method to fill its own pockets through corruption, extortion, and threats.”
She further said, “The very encroachments and illegal constructions that the BJP councillors have enabled to make money from over the past 15 years are now being used by its corrupt leaders to fill their pockets in the last one month that the BJP has left in the MCD. They are doing this because they have woken up to the fact that this is their last call and that they have merely 20 days left to grasp whatever they can. I appeal to the people of Delhi to not waver or fear this shallow bulldozer politics and hooliganism being exercised by the BJP. If BJP councillors approach you with threats for extortion, you must immediately report them to the police or the AAP MLA of your assembly. It is our promise to you that our MLA will stand with you and support you no matter how much the BJP councillors try to threaten you. Additionally, it is my appeal to all Aam Aadmi Party MLAs to reach out to everyone in their respective constituencies and earn their trust; to assure them that you will not let the BJP bully them into extortion in its last desperate days remaining in the MCD, that no matter how far the BJP councillors go with their threats, you will stand with the people of Delhi against BJP’s intimidation and misrule.”
AAP Chief Spokesperson and MLA Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj said, “We spoke to many of the Aam Aadmi Party MLAs as well as received calls from residents from various constituencies like Greater Kailash, CR Park, and others – and everyone had only one thing to say, that BJP-led MCD’s term is about to end very soon. It is a matter of just 10-15 days before the MCD is thrown out of the MCD. So, counting down to its last days, the BJP has come up with another scheme to amass all that it can. If the MCD truly cares about the rules and regulations, it can easily point out a number of violations in any regular property in Delhi, be it a house, a shop, a restaurant, or any other settlement. It can cite extension of roofs or balconies, floors, covering of an open area, extra room construction, planting of gardens, and so on. On such grounds, the MCD can even point out violations in the PM’s residential premises. So their new scheme involves BJP councillors going door to door across Delhi, threatening people with demolition to extort money from them. This act of intimidation and bullying has made people all over Delhi afraid out of no fault of their own. People are fearing demolition of their homes to such a great extent that they are afraid to speak up against the BJP councillors threatening them.”
He continued, “The Aam Aadmi Party has hence decided that all MLAs and party workers will join hands in protecting the interests of Delhiites against BJP goons and their terrorization. If any BJP councillor is spotted bullying a resident into extortion, threatening them with demolition over minor property extensions, then AAP MLAs and workers will immediately report them to the police. The biggest proof of BJP’s misgovernance and corruption is this letter written by BJP Delhi state president Adesh Gupta to all three MCD mayors, the contents of which widely vary from the narrative that the BJP is circulating in the media. While the agenda that BJP is pushing says that the encroachments and illegal properties made by Rohingyas and Bangladeshis are the ones which are being bulldozed. The letter, on the other hand, has no mention of any Rohingyas or Bangladeshis in the directions sent by the BJP Delhi state president. It simply instructs the mayors and MCD officials to locate illegal constructions in Delhi and issues formal orders for the bulldozing of these structures. This is a well-orchestrated scheme that the BJP has ideated in order to amass as much money as possible from across the state of Delhi. Earlier as well, BJP councillors have been caught red-handed extorting money from construction sites on several occasions. A Vasant Kunj councillor was taken into custody by the CBI on account of extorting 10 lacs from a house construction – the CBI had received a lede stating that a JE will be collecting the money, but the BJP councillor himself was caught in the act.”
He concluded, “Moreover, keeping the current situation in mind, Deputy CM Shri Manish Sisodia has written a formal letter to all AAP MLAs. The letter states that complaints of BJP’s terror and intimidation have been reported to him as well from people from his constituency Patparganj, where BJP councillors have gone door to door extorting money and threatening the people with demolition if refused. Hence, through this letter, the Deputy CM has advised all MLAs to remain alert and cognizant of such occurrences, to keep a close eye on the same.”
MP Shri Sanjay Singh said, “the BJP has been running its bulldozer politics for the last two days and now its real motive has been revealed. Aam Aadmi Party MLAs and leaders have received multiple complaints from many societies that BJP councillors are demanding bribes from people. They are threatening that they will demolish people’s houses and get bulldozers run over them if they are not paid bribes. The BJP has started this immoral and illegal business under the leadership of Delhi BJP state president Adesh Gupta. They first got illegal construction done in Delhi by charging crores of rupees from the people during their 15 year long rule. Now when 20 days are left with them, Adesh Gupta is writing letters asking everyone to extort as much money as they can. He has asked his men to go out to loot the people of Delhi. The Aam Aadmi Party will expose the real face of these goons and hooligans. I ask them to let the people of Delhi live in peace. I ask them to stop the business of extortion by the threat of demolition.”