The Congress on Tuesday put out a video of former party chief Rahul Gandhi visiting the Shakur Basti area here and interacting with the residents who shared their problems such as rising prices and the fear of bulldozers razing their homes.
The Opposition party shared the video of Gandhi's interaction with women and other residents from the area on its social media handles. In the video of the interaction that took place sometime last week, Gandhi is seen interacting with women from the area who narrate their problems of not having proper access to water, toilets and electricity.
The women told Gandhi that they constantly live in the fear of their houses being razed by bulldozers. The women also talked about how they are facing hardships due to rising prices as they are unable to afford cylinders.
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Gandhi asked them if the demolition drive issue from 2015 has now been resolved to which the women told him that it has been halted for the time being but they keep receiving notices from time to time.
The former Congress president heard their problems and also interacted with a lawyer who had followed up their case in the courts about how a solution to their fears can be found.
The lawyer told Gandhi that a PIL was filed in the name of Ajay Maken on Gandhi's instructions which had led to a judgment that the residents would not be removed unless they are provided an alternative place to stay.
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Sharing the video of the interaction at Shakur Basti, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Listen to Rahul Gandhi's conversation with these women. See the truth of 'Amrit Kaal'." Gandhi also interacted with children there and a man narrated his ordeal after his home was gutted in a fire.
Gandhi had visited the area in December 2015 as well. Back then, he had attacked the Centre and the Arvind Kejriwal government over the razing of a slum cluster by railways where a baby died. He had assured the homeless that he would fight their "battle".
