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Demolition of slums triggers face-off between Delhi & Centre; Kejriwal to take up the issue with Prabhu

Arvind Kejriwal will take up the issue and death of a baby at the site with Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu as he was not satisfied with the ministry officials' response.

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A fresh face-off between the Delhi government and the Centre erupted on Sunday over demolition of a slum cluster by railways to clear "encroachments" and death of a baby at the site.

The demolition of 1200 slum units at Shakur Basti in West Delhi was carried out, with the railways saying the action was necessary for expanding the infrastructure.

The railways said the demolition was carried out after three notices, the first one with the March 14, 2015 deadline.

Arvind Kejriwal will take up the issue and death of a baby at the site with Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu as he was not satisfied with the ministry officials' response.

"In the meeting, Railway officials told the CM said that there is no rehabilitation scheme before demolition. The Chief Minister completely rejected the claims of the Railways," said a Delhi Government official. After meeting the evicted dwellers, Kejriwal said that those people had been living there since 1992-94, but in one moment, Railway demolished the shanties. 

"Those who have done this (demolition of shanties) are not humans, instead they are animals and bestial," Kejriwal said.

Sources said that the Railway officials failed to give satisfactory response in the meeting with the Delhi CM. "Railway officials failed to give satisfactory response as to why demolition drive was carried out when asked whether it was an emergency project," sources said. 

They added when Kejriwal asked why proper rehabilitation measure was not taken before demolition, Railway officials said they will inform the their Board and Ministry about it.

"CM was not happy with the Railway officials' response and he would take up the matter with Railway Minister," sources also said.

The Delhi government ordered a magisterial probe into the demolition of 1200 slum units at Shakur Basti in West Delhi and planned to move court seeking FIR against those who ordered the action citing the Special Provision Act according to which no demolition can be carried out until government needs land urgently.

The railways, on its part, said the removal of "fresh encroachment" was necessary for expanding the infrastructure and that the action had been taken after three notices, the first one with the March 14, 2015 deadline.

The baby's grandmother, however, said it was wrong on the part of the railways to deny any connection of the demolition drive with the death of the child, saying "the officials never informed us in advance".

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