The BJP government in Delhi, led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, has begun a major demolition drive targeting working-class localities and JJ colonies. As part of this rampant bulldozer campaign, the DDA demolished Madrasi Camp in Jangpura on 1st June 2025. More than 300 homes were razed, rendering thousands homeless. This was carried out in blatant violation of existing DUSIB (Delhi Urban Slum Improvement Board) norms, which clearly mandate no demolition of existing slums without proper in-situ rehabilitation.
The habitual pre-election slogan of “Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makan”, touted by none other than the Prime Minister himself, has become yet another tragic mockery of the condition of the working-class poor in cities like Delhi. Just days ago, CM Rekha Gupta claimed that all JJ colonies and slums in the national capital were safe from demolition, and that the government was working toward improving civic amenities. She made this claim even as eviction notices were being served across multiple localities, and bulldozers continued destroying the shelters of the urban poor.
On 1st June, hundreds of working-class homes were demolished in Madrasi Camp. The very next day, over 100 houses were destroyed in Wazirpur under the pretext of clearing railway land. In Wazirpur, demolition notices were issued for floors above the ground floor—but in reality, entire houses were razed. It is important to note that in 2024, the Supreme Court, while hearing petitions on “bulldozer justice” by BJP governments in various states, categorically stated that due process must be followed by all government agencies. The demolition of entire buildings in Wazirpur, in contradiction to the notices, is a clear violation of the Supreme Court’s mandate.
These recent demolition drives targeting working-class settlements like Madrasi Camp, Taimur Nagar, and Wazirpur are a blatant assault on the urban poor, exposing the BJP government’s utter disregard for the rights and dignity of marginalized communities. These demolitions—conducted without proper rehabilitation or due process—are not about removing "illegal encroachments" but about displacing the poor to benefit real estate developers and political elites.
The residents of Madrasi Camp, most of whom are Dalit and Tamil-speaking migrants, have lived in these neighborhoods for over 60 years, contributing to Delhi’s economy as domestic workers, street vendors, and laborers. Yet, instead of providing them with secure housing, the BJP-led administration has bulldozed their homes, rendering them homeless overnight. This is not urban development—it is social cleansing: a deliberate attempt to push the poor out of the city to make way for corporate land grabs.
The residents sought relief from the Supreme Court but were dismissed. DDA officials claim that the demolitions are part of the Delhi High Court-ordered clearance under the Barapullah Drain Decongestion Project, a civic initiative aimed at preventing monsoon waterlogging. But the government must be held accountable: why should the urban poor bear the consequences of the administration’s failure? The MCD—governed by the BJP for over 15 years until 2022, and now under AAP—has failed to manage monsoon flooding in Delhi. Instead of fixing these systemic failures, the government has shifted the burden onto the most vulnerable.
Even DUSIB, the agency tasked with rehabilitating JJ colony residents, is complicit in this inhumane penalization of the poor. Of the 370 households razed in Madrasi Camp, more than 150 have been deemed ineligible for rehabilitation. The futures of these families have been snatched from them. Their homes—built through decades of hard-earned savings—are now reduced to dust. And the agency responsible for their relief is busy using technical loopholes to exclude them from the rehabilitation process.
The fate of those who were deemed eligible is hardly better. They are being forcibly relocated to flats in Narela, nearly 40 km from their original locality. This is nothing short of livelihood displacement. Domestic workers fear total loss of employment, as there is no demand for household work in that area. Children’s education is disrupted—many are enrolled in a nearby Tamil Nadu government-aided school with Tamil-speaking teachers, which they will now be forced to leave.
The flats offered in Narela, for which families must pay approximately ₹1.5 lakh, are uninhabitable—lacking basic amenities like electricity, water, and plumbing. DUSIB is openly disregarding its own policy of ensuring in-situ, affordable, and functional housing.
It is time to ask: Why are slums inhabited by working-class communities deemed ‘illegal’, while elite encroachments go untouched? Why is there no proper rehabilitation plan? The answer is clear: this is a politically motivated move to punish the poor and reward the BJP’s wealthy backers.
We stand in unwavering solidarity with the displaced families and demand:
Immediate compensation and dignified resettlement for all affected families.
Accountability from the responsible agencies
Urgent rectification of current housing policies to ensure dignified, affordable, and in-situ rehabilitation.
Update cutoff date for eligible slums for rehabilitation to 2025.
The BJP’s bulldozer politics will not go unchallenged. We call upon all democratic forces, activists, and working-class organizations to resist this anti-poor agenda and fight for a Delhi where housing is a right for all, not a privilege for the rich.
- Issued by Ravi Rai, Delhi State Secretary, CPI(ML) Liberation on June 03, 2025
