Addressing a press conference, Delhi Minister Atishi claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi feels “ashamed” at the sight of slum dwellers, which has led the Centre to order the demolition of slums in the Capital.

“Two days ago, there was a meeting at the Prime Minister’s office, under the chairmanship of his advisor Tarun Kapoor. This meeting was attended by officials from all land-owning agencies in Delhi, such as the MCD [Municipal Corporation of Delhi], Railways, DDA [Delhi Development Authority], and others. They were sternly instructed to completely remove slums from the city, ensuring that none remain,” Ms. Atishi said, adding that past demolitions were carried out in an “inhuman” manner without rehabilitating the slum dwellers.

“In November, central agencies issued a special order during GRAP [Graded Response Action Plan, to mitigate the impact of air pollution] and razed the slums behind Mathura Road at Sunder Nagar against the rules. This conspiracy to demolish slums is being carried out because Prime Minister Modi does not want slums in Delhi,” the Minister said, adding that the presence of the dwellings “embarrassed” Mr. Modi in front of foreign dignitaries.