New Delhi, Nov 16 (PTI) AAP leaders observed 'Dhoka Diwas' across the national capital on Saturday as they held protests against the BJP's "false promise" of regularising unauthorised colonies.

Terming the promise of regularising unauthorised colonies an "election gimmick", the party leaders visited unauthorised colonies in the national capital and talked to the residents.

"Today on Dhoka Divas we are reaching out to the people of unauthorised colonies and exposing BJP's lies. We do not want the residents of unauthorised colonies to be cheated again by the BJP," Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.

He led the protest at Sangam Vihar and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh led the protest at Burari. Cabinet Minister and AAP Delhi convenor Gopal Rai led the protest at Bawana. 

While senior leader Pankaj Gupta led the protest at Janak Puri, party leader Dilip Pandey led the agitation at Mohan Garden, Vikaspuri. Saurabh Bharadwaj, senior party leader and MLA from Greater Kailash led the Dhokha Diwas protest at Deoli.

Rai claimed that the BJP was following the footsteps of Congress.

"Earlier, the Congress cheated the residents of unauthorised colonies by distributing provisional certificates in the name of registration. Now the BJP is doing the same kind of fraud by initiating an online registration process. If the BJP is really willing to regularise the unauthorised colonies then they should immediately start the proper registration process and stop this gimmick of online registration," said Rai.

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said it is unfortunate that the leaders of BJP are lying to the residents of unauthorised colonies. 

"This is not the first time the parties are cheating the people of unauthorised colonies. The Congress under Shiela Dikshit used to reach out to the residents of such colonies right before elections, and would assure them that the registration process will be done by distributing provisional certificates but after election they never followed up on their promises," he claimed. 

"The BJP has also done the same. In reality nothing has happened on the ground. The BJP is not clear whether they will finish the registration process before December or not," he said.

Bharadwaj said it is high time that BJP's fraud is exposed.

"We have told the residents of unauthorised colonies that the AAP will stand with them shoulder to shoulder in their struggle and it will not allow the BJP to continue with this fraud," he said.

In October, the Union Cabinet approved a proposal to grant ownership rights to people living in unauthorised colonies in Delhi.

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said the Centre would also bring a bill in the Winter Session of Parliament to give relief to the residents of unauthorised colonies in the national capital.

The move has come ahead of assembly polls in Delhi to be held early next year.

The decision is applicable to 1,797 identified unauthorised colonies spread over 175 square km inhabited by people from lower-income groups, Puri said last month.

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