Express News Service By

NEW DELHI: Within days of government formation in Delhi, a public spat has broken out between the ruling AAP and the BJP over who should take credit for stopping the demolition of slums in the city.

On his first day as Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal announced that no demolition would be carried out. The BJP on Tuesday hit back saying the Delhi government was seeking credit for something the Centre had accomplished.

BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said, “There is already a Centre enforced ban on pulling down such structures since the BJP came to power at the Centre. The Kejriwal Government is just springing into meaningless action and putting up a pretence of accomplishment.”

“The AAP Government is not only selling old wine in new bottle, but is resorting to selling old wine in even older bottles. In their hurry to appear as keepers of poll promises, they are delving into the realm of eyewash politics,” Lekhi alleged.

She argued that in December 2014, the Centre had introduced the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Bill to protect those who would have been displaced had the unauthorised colonies been demolished. Meanwhile senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, “Lekhi must rejig her memory. Several slums were demolished during the BJP’s rule”.

Helping Hand

Kejriwal on Tuesday engaged with various departments and organisations in the Delhi administration and put on hold the termination of services of contractual employees until “further instructions were issued”.

The decision, which benefits doctors, nurses, teachers and sanitation staff, among others, was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the CM. This move will give relief to around one lakh contractual employees in various departments and agencies of the Delhi government. “Services of contractual employees should not be terminated or stopped till further orders,” a government notice stated.