New Delhi, March 16
Former Delhi Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Mr Madan Lal Khurana today announced that he would launch a movement against MCD’s demolition drive and sealing of shops. 

“Today, when I see all these demolitions in Delhi, I want to do something for the people of the Capital. I am pained to see the lack of concern among those in Delhi BJP as well as those at the national level for the common people of Delhi and the small traders who are living under the constant fear of either being uprooted from their homes or having themselves divested of their sources of livelihood,” he said. 

“So, I have now decided that the day the government action for sealing of commercial units begins, I, along with Mr Harsharan Singh Balli, will, if necessary, go and break the seals of the shops even if it means being arrested for defying the court orders,” Mr Khurana said at a press conference here. Mr Khurana said he had written a letter to BJP president Rajnath Singh, drawing the party’s attention towards the gravity of the problem confronting the people of Delhi and seeking its support for action against the demolition drive, sealing action and the eviction of hawkers.

“If the party does not respond to our plea, then Balli and I, along with some of our friends in the party, will wage a lone struggle for the cause of the people of Delhi. We will not allow the sealing operation to go on at any cost. And for this I am ready to face any action,” Mr Khurana said.

Mr Khurana regretted that the Delhi BJP did not lend support to his aide and MLA H S Balli’s hunger strike last month over the demolition of unauthorised constructions in Delhi following the orders of the Delhi High Court.

“All through the hunger strike by Mr Balli, not one person from the Delhi BJP came to meet him to lend support to his struggle. Instead, he was warned of expulsion if he carried on with his hunger strike,” Mr Khurana said.

Claiming that he left the post of Governor of Rajasthan to work for the cause of people in Delhi, he said, “Delhi is my temple and I cannot see its destruction before my eyes. I am ready to face any action for the cause of its people”. 

In this context, he pointed out that as early as December last year when the demolitions began, he received several calls urging him to do something to stop it.

“At that time, it was Mr Balli alone who came forward to take up cudgels for the people of Delhi and told me he would go on hunger strike on February 7 in a bid to persuade the government to put a stop to demolitions,” Mr Khurana added. In this context, he said former BJP president L K Advani, instead of embarking on an All India Rath Yatra, should take out a similar yatra in Delhi to protest the current demolitions in the Capital. 

Terming his resignation as Delhi Chief Minister ten years ago on Mr Advani’s advice as the “biggest mistake of my life”, Mr Khurana said, “had I stayed on in the Chief Minister’s seat at that time, then all the problems confronting Delhi today, like the problem of unauthorised constructions, the commercial units and the shortage of drinking water, would have been solved a long time ago”. 

Speaking at the press meet, Mr Balli, endorsing the views of Mr Khurana, said, “If we were in power today, we would have solved the problem of unauthorised construction and that of commercial units in residential areas. Unlike the present government, we would have approached the court to seek relief for the commoners and small traders”.