A day after South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) bulldozed eight gates of two residential colonies at Green Park Extension and at Safdarjung Enclave; Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders said that the civic body took action without giving any prior notice. However, SDMC spokesperson Radha Krishan did not respond to calls or whatsApp messages and officials of the south zone of the SDMC have no idea about the issue.
AAP senior leader and MLA Somnath Bharti and senior leader Durgesh Pathak on Saturday slammed the BJP-ruled municipal Corporation for demolishing eight gates of the Green Park Extension without any prior notice.
“The gates were constructed after many criminal activities were reported in the area. The AAP demands immediate posting of Delhi Police officers in the area to ensure the safety and security of the RWA. The AAP will stand shoulder to shoulder with the people and rebuild all these eight gates,” he said.
Bharti said, “The destructive mentality and policies of the BJP got exposed in Delhi at the Malviya Nagar assembly constituency. “Amid the COVID-19 pandemic such behaviour from the BJP-led MCD is condemnable and completely unacceptable,” he said.
“In the past 15 years, the BJP is ruling the municipal corporations of Delhi but they have not helped any RWA regarding any issues but today the BJP is demolishing their gates. These gates were built by the RWA for the safety and security of the residents. The Delhi police is also under the Bharatiya Janata Party ruled central government and if the Delhi police was competent enough to secure the residents of the RWAs then there would not have any necessity to build these gates,” he said.
Durgesh Pathak said, “The employees of municipal Corporations are not getting their salaries and the whole city has become dirty due to the incompetence of the MCDs. The BJP has a bigger plan to demolish all the gates of the RWAs across Delhi. This will happen at GK, Safdarjung, Pitampura and other places too. The AAP will not allow such demolition in Delhi and we will stand beside the residents and rebuild these gates,” he said.
Shrimati Neha Puri, General Secretary of Green Park Extension RWA said, “Yesterday the officials of SDMC along with the Delhi police came to our RWA with three JCBs and demolished eight gates. The RWAs of Delhi have always walked beyond their responsibilities for the safety and security of the residents. In the time of COVID-19, the RWAs have provided quarantine facilities and oxygen to the people without much support and recognition.”
“Our safety and security have gone for a toss and the whole RWA is completely open from all the sides. The officials lied to us by saying that this was done following a High Court order. Today we met the Deputy Commissioner of SDMC and briefed him the situation but no official showed us any formal order copy of the demolition. Moreover, I want to say that MCD has encroached various parts of our RWA,” she said.