Delhi BJP President Virendraa Sachdeva on Wednesday said that it doesn’t matter if Congress and AAP form an alliance for the Delhi assembly polls, as the BJP will form the government in Delhi.

His remarks came after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday ruled out any possibility of an alliance with the Congress.

In a post on X, Kejriwal said, “Aam Aadmi Party will be fighting this election on its own strength in Delhi. There is no possibility of any alliance with Congress.” Virendraa Sachdeva said, “Who trusts Arvind Kejriwal’s point of view, we do not know. Arvind Kejriwal and the lie are friends of each other. Whether the (Congress-AAP) coalition will happen or not, does not matter to Bharatiya Janata Party. The Bharatiya Janata Party is going to form the government in Delhi.” The statement comes after reports suggested that Congress and AAP were in the final stages of talks for a Delhi election alliance.

Earlier on December 7, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Devendra Yadav had criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, for being responsible for the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the national capital.

Devendra Yadav also demanded that Kejriwal should ask for the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, the same way he asked for the resignation of former CM Shiela Dixit during the Nirbhaya case.

The Delhi Congress president further alleged that the women are facing the brunt of increasing crimes, including gang wars, firing, murder, rape, harassment and snatching incidents.

Congress, which was in power in Delhi for 15 successive years, has performed poorly in the past two assembly polls, failing to win any seat.

The Assembly polls in Delhi are expected to be held in early 2025. AAP won 62 out of the 70 seats in the 2020 assembly elections and BJP secured eighth seats.

Lucknow: Authorities on Tuesday carried out a seven-hour demolition drive at the 185-year-old Noori Masjid in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, as part of a highway widening project on the Banda-Bahraich route. 

About The Action

The action, involving five bulldozers, began at 8 am and continued until 3 pm, during which a portion of the mosque was also razed. Heavy security was deployed, including forces from multiple police stations, DSP-level officers, and a Rapid Action Force (RAF) unit. The area around the mosque in Lalauli town was sealed off within a 500-meter radius, and around 25,000 residents were reportedly restricted to their homes during the operation.

Drone cameras monitored the area to ensure the situation remained under control. Following the demolition, the encroachment debris was cleared, allowing the BandaKanpur road to reopen after being closed for six hours.

The Public Works Department (PWD) issued a notice to the mosque committee on August 17, asking them to remove the alleged encroachment voluntarily. However, the committee sought a month’s time but failed to act within the stipulated period. The mosque committee then moved the High Court, asserting that Noori Masjid, built in 1839, had not encroached on public land. A hearing on the case scheduled for December 6 was postponed to December 13.

Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, Manohar Lal on Tuesday said that a revamped National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) will be launched soon.

Interacting with media persons here, the union minister said that a pilot project is underway in 25 cities and its outcome will help shape the revamped National Urban Livelihoods Mission.

The minister reaffirmed the central government’s commitment to working in partnership with state governments by providing budgetary support, workforce training, and advanced technologies to foster urban development.

Rs 13,422 crore under PM Svanidhi Scheme

Under the PM Svanidhi Scheme, the total amount of loans disbursed amounts to Rs 13,422 crore, an official release said.

He said that investments in the urban sector have grown 16 times, from approximately Rs 1,78,053 crore between 2004 and 2014 to Rs 28,52,527 crore since 2014.

The Union Minister said that the increased investments underscore the government’s commitment to achieving the goal of Vikshit Bharat by 2047. He emphasised that the accelerating rate of urbanisation has made urban development a cornerstone of India’s growth strategy.

Over the past six months, urban development schemes have been expanded and implemented with greater speed and efficiency, the minister said.

Creation of 4,649 MLD water treatment capacity under AMRUT

Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), the Union Minister listed several significant achievements, including the creation of 4,649 MLD of water treatment capacity and 4,429 MLD of sewage treatment capacity.

Under AMRUT 2.0, the government is prioritising stormwater drainage systems to address waterlogging challenges, alongside continuing efforts to enhance drinking water availability and sewerage systems.

Projects worth Rs 2.73 lakh crore under AMRUT mission

Under the AMRUT Mission, a total of Rs 2.73 lakh crores worth of projects have been sanctioned between 2014 and 2024 of which Rs 1.03 lakh crore is central assistance, as per the official figures.

The release said that overall works worth around Rs 96,970 crore have been physically completed.

Manohar Lal announced that the New Cities Scheme has been conceptualised to manage the pressures of rapid urbanisation. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, since June 9 2024, the government has released more than Rs 1,123 crore.

Over the past six months since June 9, two major dumpsites in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad have been completely remediated, successfully addressing approximately 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste, according to the release.