AAP MPs protest in Parliament complex, demand bill on regularising Delhi's unauthorised colonies

AAP MPs on Wednesday held a protest in the Parliament complex against the Centre for not listing a bill in the Winter Session to regularise unauthorised colonies in Delhi despite making an announcement to do so last month.

The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Rajya Sabha MPs -- Sanjay Singh, N D Gupta and Sushil Gupta -- and Lok Sabha MP Bhagwant Mann protested at the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex.

They held placards and raised slogans like "stop cheating people".

"A list of 27 bills proposed to be tabled in Parliament has been given by the government, but not one of them pertains to regularisation of unauthorised colonies. This means you (BJP) are cheating the people of Delhi, you are lying to them," Singh said.

"We will try our best to ensure that a bill to this effect is passed in this session," he said.

On October 23, the Union Cabinet had approved a proposal to grant ownership rights to people living in unauthorised colonies in Delhi.

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said the Centre would also bring a bill in the Winter Session to give relief to the residents of unauthorised colonies in the national capital.

The move, which will benefit 40 lakh people, came ahead of the assembly polls in Delhi that are scheduled to be held early next year.

The decision would be applicable to 1,797 identified unauthorised colonies spread over 175 sq km inhabited by people from lower-income groups, Puri had said last month.

Several proposed legislations, including the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill, will be tabled in Parliament during the 26-day Winter Session which began on Monday.