NEW DELHI: Giving the demolition drama in the Capital a new twist, BJP MLA Jai Bhagwan Aggarwal, went ahead and demolished the house in which he was staying with his family. Aggarwal claimed, “This will change the image of the quintessential tainted Indian politician.”
Aggarwal demolished his home in Pitampura which was amongst the 18,000 illegal constructions that the High Court had ordered to demolish earlier. Aggarwal's three-storied accommodation in Pitampura was brought down to bare walls.
"I have done this to set an example. So long those common people without any clout or influence have suffered at the hands of the MCD. The court order did not distinguish between the VIP’s and the common people of Delhi. As a leader I had to lead by example,” said Aggarwal while pointing an arrow on opposition members such as A K Walia and DPCC chairperson Ram Babu Sharma who have come under the scanner for their illegal hospital and sweet shop respectively in the West Delhi area.
Asked if even the Congress was going to follow the example set by Aggarwal, Walia explained, “My hospital is part of the unauthorised regularised colony, which was declared by DDA in 1983 itself. There were 112 such colonies that developed from rural villages and now they have all been regularised.”
Ram Babu Sharma, when contacted, said he was in Mumbai and unable to comment.
Aggarwal whose Saraswati Vihar residence was razed off the ground has now shifted to a new home in Rohini. “I had paid an extra penalty for increasing the permitted built area of the house in 1999 as per Malhotra committee report. But this report was ultimately not accepted by the Delhi government,” said Aggarwal.
After the Delhi High Court came down heavily on illegal constructions across the Capital, Aggarwal says it didn’t take him that long after all to decide on demolishing his property.
“Soon after the Delhi High Court's verdict I had started demolishing the house but since it has three stories it has taken me this long.” Agarwal was not willing to divulge how much loss he suffered.
