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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked the government over the use of bulldozers in violence-hit areas of Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to switch off "bulldozers of hate" and switch on power plants.
He also raised the issue of coal shortage in the country and shared a news report that claims that India stares at outages as coal stocks at power plants hit a low.
"Eight years of big talk has resulted in India having only 8 days of coal stocks," he said on Twitter.
"Modi ji, stagflation is looming. Power cuts will crush small industries, leading to more job losses.
"Switch off the bulldozers of hate and switch on the power plants," he also said.
Gandhi's reference was to the use of bulldozers in the anti-encroachment drive in Delhi's violence-hit Jahangirpuri and in Madhya Pradesh against people who the BJP alleges have indulged in rioting.
"India is left only with 8 days of coal stocks. The fire burning on the streets because of BJP's hateful politics will not light up homes," the Congress also said on its official Twitter handle.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Amanatullah Khan alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah and the BJP want to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of Delhi.
In a video message on Twitter, the Okhla MLA said demolition of the houses of “a particular community” just to “harass” them in the holy month of Ramadan on the pretext of an anti-encroachment drive will further spoil the atmosphere in the area.
He appealed to the home minister and the BJP leaders to refrain from resorting to such action, cautioning that the country's atmosphere has already been vitiated.
“Such cheap politics will ruin the country if not stopped in time,” Khan, also the Delhi Waqf Board chairman, said.
The BJP-ruled North Delhi Municipal Corporation has scheduled a two-day anti-encroachment drive in Jahangirpuri, starting Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta had written to the NDMC mayor to identify illegal constructions of “rioters” in Jahangirpuri and demolish them using bulldozers.
The civic body requested the Delhi Police to deploy at least 400 personnel, including women, to ensure law and order during the drive.
Jahangirpuri in north West Delhi witnessed violent clashes, including stone pelting, arson and firing, between two communities during a Hanuman Jayanti procession on Saturday. Eight police personnel and a local resident had sustained injuries.
Reacting to the NDMC move, Khan alleged, “The country's atmosphere has already been vitiated and efforts are being made to make it worse. Amit Shah and the BJP want to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of Delhi.”
“Just four days ago, there was a riot in Jahangirpuri. An order has now been issued to run bulldozers on the houses of the people there and harass a particular community in the name of anti-encroachment drive,” he added.
Questioning the timing of the move and the BJP dispensation's intent behind it, Khan said the civic body could have taken up the anti-encroachment drive later, if “if it is legal”.
“It's the holy month of Ramadan. I want to know the what is your compulsion that you are going to demolish the houses of the people, as you did in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, in the name of launching an anti-encroachment drive in an area hit by rioting just four days ago and the tempers are yet to cool down?” he asked the home minister and the other BJP leaders.
“This is not right. I appeal to Amit Shah and all the BJP leaders to refrain from resorting to such actions and vitiating the atmosphere of Delhi,” Khan said.