File 100 cases against me, won't stop regularising unauthorised colonies: Satyendar Jain

Delhi Public Work Department (PWD) and Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said that he is being hounded for trying to regularise the unauthorised colonies in the national capital. However, he asserted that no amount of cases can deter him from doing the same.

"I accept the Modi Government's charge that I am working round the clock for the regularisation and better living conditions in the unauthorised colonies of Delhi. Even if they file 100 cases against me, I won't be cowed down and I will keep working in the same manner," Jain said in a statement.

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jain said the former wants to raze down unauthorised colonies in Delhi and render poor people homeless.

"Being the Urban Development Minister of Delhi I am under oath to get the unauthorised colonies authorised. It's my duty to provide the residents with basic facilities like roads and drains. It is the democratic right of the people staying in these colonies," Jain added.

The PWD minister refuted charges made by the Prime Minister Modi-led central government that he will become richer by trying to regularise unauthorised colonies.

Terming Centre's charges as "laughable and beyond comprehension", Jain said that regularisation of the unauthorised colonies will not benefit him, but will benefit a huge number of people residing in these colonies.

"I don't reject the charges of the Modi led central government. I accept them. Yes, I am trying to regularise the unauthorised colonies in Delhi. However, I am amazed at the charges made by the Centre; they are saying Satyendar Jain will become richer by regularising these colonies. This is laughable and beyond comprehension. How will I become richer by regularising the unauthorised colonies? Regularisation of the unauthorised colonies will not benefit Satyendar Jain, but will benefit the huge number of people residing in these colonies. This is their democratic right, their life condition will improve and they will be happier," Jain said.

"Let them file as many cases against me as they want, if they think I will get afraid, they are highly mistaken. Such vindictive action of the Modi government gives me more strength to work towards the upliftment of the living conditions in the unauthorised colonies. The people of Delhi have elected me and sent here to work for them. I will continue working for them with full integrity till my last breath, and no amount of witch hunt will deter my resolve," he added.

Jain's statement comes a day after the Centre granted sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute him in a case related to alleged possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier alleged that the central government got a case registered against Jain for working for regularising Delhi's unauthorised colonies. Kejriwal also called the BJP an "enemy of the people of Delhi."

Furthermore, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj had asserted Jain had not invested even a rupee in any company or land after 2013.

Earlier on Thursday, official sources revealed that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has granted sanction to prosecute Jain in a case registered by the CBI on August 24, 2017, for allegedly acquiring assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.