The Congress has demanded an unconditional apology from the BJP Government for labelling poor street vendors/ hawkers of Delhi as ‘mafia’ on the streets. According to a Press statement issued by Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken, during the course of hearing in a PIl filed by him before the Delhi High Court, seeking implementation of the Street Vendors Act in the National Capital, Additional Solicitor General Neeraj Kishan Kaul, representing the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, has stated that the street of Delhi have been flooded by the ‘Street Vendors Mafia’ and they are creating a menace by indulging in illegal activities.
“The statement was made by Kaul while arguing that the Municipal Authorities should be allowed to remove/ evict such vendors,” Maken said. The counsels for the petitioner took strong objections to this statement of the ASG Kaul and told the court that it is most unfortunate that the government of the day is calling poor and vulnerable people as mafia and threat to the society.
Slamming the BJP Government for such insensitive remark, the Congress leader said that the BJP and AAP are hand in gloves to evict vendors from the street of Delhi as both have failed to implement the 2014 Street Vendors Act enacted by the UPA.