Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi visits Shakur Basti where hundreds of people were forced to spend the cold winter night out in the open after their huts were demolished, in New Delhi yesterday.
IANS/New Delhi
The Delhi High Court yesterday slammed the railways for its “inhuman” demolition drive in the capital.
The court also issued notice to the railways, police and the city government and asked them to make a co-ordinated action plan for the rehabilitation of the displaced residents.
A bench headed by Justice S Murlidhar sought a response from the railways, police and the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) by December 16 while hearing an appeal filed by Congress leader Ajay Maken who demanded that all displaced people be immediately rehabilitated in temporary relief camps and shelter homes.
The court asked the railways whether a survey was done and proper rehabilitation arrangements were made before the demolition drive in Shakur Basti area of west Delhi. Observing that the railways was in a hurry to demolish the shanties in Shakur Basti, the court asked: “What was the tearing hurry to demolish Shakur Basti cluster in December?”
It also sought details of the Shakur Basti residents and asked all agencies to distribute blankets, food and medicines.
More than 500 hutments were demolished by railways authorities on Saturday, leaving hundreds homeless in the winter chill. An infant allegedly died during the drive.
Meanwhile Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were locked in a war of words over the razing of the huts and the death of the child.
The grieving father of the six-month-old baby insisted the girl died in the panic caused by the imminent demolition of the hutments. The autopsy report said the death occurred due to head and chest injuries besides shock.
Prabhu denied the claims in the Lok Sabha and said the child died before the railways started pulling down the hutments they said were built illegally on railway land.
Since the demolition, the hutment dwellers are living in the open, at the site, under canvas tents. Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said it was determined to provide food and shelter to the poor.
Accompanied by Maken, Gandhi yesterday met the displaced men, women and children and vowed to fight for their rights.
Gandhi said: “We will try to help you... We will fight for you... We will raise the issue in parliament.”
Gandhi’s office tweeted that both the central and Delhi governments were to blame for Saturday’s demolition.
“Now they are busy blaming each other. Instead, they should provide help to the people who have been displaced and rehabilitate them.”
Kejriwal promptly hit back, saying Gandhi was a “kid” who did not know that the railways which carried out the razing was controlled by the central, not Delhi, government.
Prabhu promised to invite Kejriwal to discuss how people left homeless due to the demolition could be rehabilitated and how public land could be put to use.
He said the demolition was carried out after sending repeated notices to people at Shakur Basti to vacate the land.
