AAP seeks action against Gambhir over ‘dumping ground encroachment’

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday demanded action against BJP MP Gautam Gambhir over the alleged illegal allotment of dumping grounds to individuals, NGOs, and private organisations.

The move came a day after Delhi BJP MLA Anil Bajpai wrote to Lieutenant-Governor V K Saxena, demanding a CBI probe into the “illegal allotment of dhalaos (dumping grounds) under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to individuals, NGOs and private organisations.”

“Will BJP-appointed LG initiate enquiry against BJP MP?” Greater Kailash MLA and AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj tweeted on Saturday.

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Gambhir’s kitchens

Bajpai, the BJP MLA from East Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar, alleged in his letter to the L-G that the space allotted to dhalao area had been “converted into rasoi (kitchen), library, and other works and ownership (had) been (transferred) to private organisations” in some East Delhi Assembly constituencies.

Though he did not name Gambhir, it is well-known that the cricketer-turned-politician runs four community kitchens through his NGO. He also got community kitchens and a library constructed on a plot that used to be an MCD dumping yard in Priya Enclave.

“Illegally encroaching upon government land and using it for illegal activities is a criminal act, according to our Constitution, law and order, AAP’s MCD election in-charge, Durgesh Pathak, said at a press conference on Saturday, demanding a probe into the matter.

“This illegal act has taken place in East Delhi and by none other than BJP MP Gautam Gambhir. I am not saying this; his own party MLA from Gandhi Nagar, Anil Bajpaiji, has exposed this and has written to the L-G and other senior officials of MCD, demanding a CBI probe,” Pathak added.

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AAP allegations

“MCD lands are meant to be for public use. Giving them to someone for personal use is a criminal act. We demand that L-G Saxena conduct a time-bound investigation and ensure strict punishment for all culprits,” the AAP leader said.

He reminded people that AAP had been repeatedly exposing how the BJP was robbing Delhi of its public land by gifting them to its own people. “We had earlier exposed a similar case where a BJP councillor had allotted MCD land to her own husband,” Pathak pointed out.

According to him, Bajpai mentioned that sanitation workers used to rest on these encroached-upon plots and dump garbage. “Now, all these activities have been stopped. Because of that, people are facing a lot of trouble in Gandhi Nagar and its surrounding areas. This place has been given to Gautam Gambhir and his NGO, where all kinds of activities are taking place,” Pathak alleged.

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“MCD now a private firm”

“How is it even possible for an individual, Gautam Gambhir, to capture the land belonging to MCD,” Pathak questioned. “…After looking at these activities, we have realised that MCD, which runs on the money of taxpayers of Delhi, has been converted into a private firm for a few BJP politicians,” he added.

He reminded people that when AAP had raised the matter earlier, BJP had tried to dismiss the complaint. But now, a BJP MLA himself has raised the concern. “Anil Bajpai is a respected senior member of the BJP, and the party had appointed him as the observer in the presidential elections,” Pathak said.

A source close to Gambhir claimed that Bajpai, who used to be with AAP before joining BJP, was trying to return to his former party.

(With agency inputs)