BJP is 'fooling' people on issue of unauthorised colonies: Kejriwal

Accusing the BJP of "forgetting" unauthorised colonies just before the February 8 Delhi assembly elections, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said the saffron party is "fooling" people as the Congress did when it was in power.

In an interview to PTI, Chief Minister Kejriwal said BJP leaders these days are talking about Shaheen Bagh where an anti-CAA protest is going on for over a month, but not about Delhi's unauthorised colonies.

The Lok Sabha in November last year had passed the NCT of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Bill, 2019, to grant ownership rights to residents living in the city's 1,731 unauthorised colonies.

According to the BJP, the move will benefit 40 lakh residents.

Kejriwal alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah in his political rallies had not mentioned the issue of unauthorised colonies.

"They have forgotten the issue of unauthorised colonies just before the assembly elections. After January 15, Shah has not even mentioned the issue of unauthorised colonies.

"In the last four months, they just gave registry to 20 people...you can imagine how much time they will take to give registry to the 40 lakh residents of the unauthorised colonies," he said.

Kejriwal said before January 15, BJP leaders would talk about unauthorised colonies."The BJP is "fooling the people (on unauthorised colonies) as the Congress did," the AAP leader said.

People living in unauthorised colonies play a vital role in elections in the national capital.

In November last year, Kejriwal had asserted that he would not rest till the registration of houses in the unauthorised colonies is completed.

When the Congress was in power in the national capital, the provisional certificates were given to some residents of these colonies.