The government justified the demolitions by saying the structures are “illegal” and has said it intends to rehome some of the affected communities. But activists have questioned the timing, claiming instead that the demolitions are part of a “beautification” project – a campaign to rid the city of its beggars and slums – to impress foreign dignitaries
By Rhea Mogul, Vedika Sud and Sania Farooqui, CNN
The bulldozers and government officials arrived just before dawn, tearing down the row of shanties as its bewildered residents watched inconsolably nearby.
“We were so frightened,” said 56-year-old Jayanti Devi as she attempted to salvage what was left of her belongings in the heart of New Delhi. “They destroyed everything. We have nothing left.”
For the past 30 years her home had stood on a decrepit pavement, next to an open sewage drain, opposite the sprawling Pragati Maidan complex, a prominent convention center in the Indian capital that will this week host leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) nations.
But the dwelling is not what US President Joe Biden, France’s Emmanuel Macron, or British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will see as they arrive for the pivotal summit.
Devi is among tens of thousands of New Delhi’s most marginalized residents who have been evicted from their homes in the lead up to the G20 meeting, as authorities embark on a mass demolition drive in neighborhoods across the city….
After the truth-shower 