By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi
New Delhi, September 9: Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra has launched a sharp attack on the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), holding their governments responsible for what he described as years of policy failures involving civic infrastructure, commercial establishments and public safety in the national capital.
Malhotra said that while Congress and AAP governments repeatedly spoke of transforming Delhi into a city like London or Paris, they failed to develop infrastructure in line with ground realities or establish stringent regulations for the rapidly expanding network of paying guest (PG) accommodations, coaching centres, hotels, guest houses and other commercial establishments.
He alleged that the “criminal negligence” of the Congress and AAP governments between 1998 and 2025 resulted in Delhi being reduced to a “slum”, despite their repeated promises of transforming the capital into a world-class city.
Targeting opposition leaders who have criticised the BJP-led Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Malhotra asked them to explain why, during their tenure in the Delhi Government, funds allocated to the civic body were allegedly reduced due to political vendetta.
According to Malhotra, the financial weakening of the MCD adversely affected its civic services and contributed to the problems the city continues to face.
The Delhi BJP president also questioned why successive Congress and AAP governments failed to introduce comprehensive safety policies for thousands of coaching centres, PG accommodations, guest houses and hotels that emerged across Delhi between 1998 and 2025.
Referring to recent accidents, Malhotra said that similar incidents had occurred in the past but were allegedly ignored by previous governments. He argued that the absence of effective safety regulations was a major policy failure.
He specifically linked the recent PG accident and fatal incidents nearly three months ago at guest houses allegedly operating illegally under the guise of Bed & Breakfast licences to what he described as the failure of the Congress and AAP governments to establish and enforce adequate safety policies.
Malhotra said the BJP government, which he noted had been in power for only 17 months, should not be held solely responsible for problems that, according to him, had accumulated over decades of Congress and AAP rule.
