On September 16, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shailender Singh Monty accused Aam Aadmi Party MLA Somnath Bharti of attempting to grab land in a park in Hauj Khas allegedly to build a graveyard for Muslims. Terming it as ‘Land Jihad,’ Singh alleged that Bharti wanted to convert the Deer Park and the adjacent District Park in South Delhi into a graveyard for the Muslim community, and also alleged that the AAP MLA is trying to open a road through the forest area to benefit a Muslim realtor.
He also accused Bharti of trying to give away DDA land to allegedly benefit his partner named Liaquat Ali, who is a property dealer by profession. He said Bharti wants to build a 25 feet wide road inside the park from Hauz Khas to RK Puram so that Ali’s flats could be sold at a better price.
दिल्ली में #LandJihad :
— Shailender Singh Monty (@MontyBJP) September 16, 2022
AAP के MLA सोमनाथ भारती ( DDA board member) का घिनौना सच , केजरीवाल की शह पर..डियर पार्क रोज़ गार्डेन जैसे बड़े हरित क्षेत्र के बीचो-बीच कब्रिस्तान बनाने और उसकी सड़क बनाने की साजिश का खुलासा @epanchjanya @eOrganiser @VHPDigital @BJP4Delhi @ManojTiwariMP pic.twitter.com/aVYbwTtO9E
Singh alleged that people from RK Puram had been seen burying dead bodies inside the park. Shailender Singh Monty shared a video on his social media accounts where he made the accusations against AAP MLA Somnath Bharti. In the video, he said, “AAP MLA Somnath Bharti, who is also a DDA Board member, is trying to build a graveyard inside the 200-hectare reserved forest park. It is the largest park in our Hauz Khas area.”
He added, “Somnath Bharti first placed a board of graveyard inside the park. Later his men came and cleaned the park. Then, on September 10, a few people came and buried a body inside the park. Not even a single person was local. Now Somnath Bharti is pressurizing the DDA officers to declare the park as a graveyard. He wanted to present it as an old graveyard. In reality, the old graveyard has been encroached upon by one family. They have constructed buildings at that graveyard.”
Shailender Singh Monty said that while the old Muslim graveyard has been covered with buildings, now Somnath Bharti is trying to convert the Rose Garden Deer Park into a graveyard for the Muslims.
He said Somnath Bharti now wants to give them a path via the park so that people from RK Puram can come and use the alleged graveyard. He said that the path for the graveyard is only an excuse, as in reality, he wants to build a 25 feet road to benefit a builder named Liyaqat Ali who is his close friend. He said, “The truth behind all these efforts made by Bharti is that he wanted to provide a path for his close aide builder Liyaqat Ali’s building. With the new path, his building will fall on the main road which will increase the price of the flats.”
Monty displayed photographs showing Somnath Bharti and Liyaqat Ali together.
Shailender Singh Monty also said that if the planned road is built through the park, 200-250 trees will be cut. He appealed to people in the area to write to the Lieutenant General and DDA officials saying that they will not allow the building of a Muslim graveyard or a road in the park.
Deer Park along with District Park and the Rose Garden in South Delhi form a continuous green area with thousands of trees around the Hauz Khas lake. Collectively they form one of the largest green areas in Delhi, used by people for walking, jogging, picnics etc. The park has a large number of deer, giving it the name Deer Park. Shailender Singh Monty said that this is the largest green area in South Delhi spanning 200 hectares, and is also a reserve forest.
OpIndia has contacted Shailender Singh Monty for more details. We will update the report when and if further details on the matter are received.
