AAP candidate Brajesh Goyal hits out at BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi over sealing drive

Attacking his opponent and sitting MP Meenakshi Lekhi, AAP's Lok Sabha candidate Brajesh Goyal on Sunday alleged that the BJP leader ignored the problems of sealing drives in several prominent markets in the New Delhi parliamentary constituency.

"Who the BJP selects as its candidate is their party's decision, but having been an absentee MP during the last five years, I challenge Lekhi to break her silence on how her party's central government ruined traders of several prominent markets in New Delhi constituency due to brutal and mindless sealing of legal shops and commercial establishments," stated Goyal who is contesting from New Delhi Lok Sabha seat against Lekhi.

The AAP leader said that he had tried to meet Lekhi to discuss the issues of traders, but she not only refused to meet but also paid no heed to the issues.

"I also challenge Lekhi to make her road map public on how these shops can be desealed. When the sealing began in 2017, I had tried to meet Lekhi with delegations of traders but she refused to meet anyone, leave alone taking any step to save the livelihoods of traders of New Delhi," he said.

Goyal also attacked the BJP for not bringing an ordinance to resolve traders' issues.

"I had pleaded with all concerned authorities particularly the BJP ruled MCDs and Union Urban Development Ministry that no illegal construction exists in any of these markets, there were no pending dues and traders can be saved from being ruined if the BJP's central government simply brings an ordinance to change the surface area norms and conversion charges," he said.

Delhi, where 7 Lok Sabha seats are at stake will go to polls on May 12 in the sixth phase of ongoing elections.