Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with his cabinet ministers. (Photo: Press Trust of India)
The two-day-old Aam Aadmi Party government has banned demolitions in Delhi in its first order since taking charge on the weekend.
The government plans to "take a holistic view on the existing policy of demolitions in residential areas and slums," an official statement said on Monday.
Arvind Kejriwal, who was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Delhi on Saturday, had during his campaign promised that his government would replace slums with permanent structures and would not raze a single home.
"No one should be deprived of shelter until proper arrangements are in place," Mr Kejriwal had said.
The order came a day after a group of people protested outside Mr Kejriwal's home against the demolition of slums in Shahdara in east Delhi.
The slums were reportedly razed around the time of Mr Kejriwal's oath ceremony. The protesters had claimed that slum dwellers were injured during the crackdown.
The police had alleged that the slums were on government land and they had orders to facilitate the demolition. The bulldozers were finally called off when AAP supporters reportedly spoke to Mr Kejriwal.
The Delhi government does not have control over land, however, so today's order may not go beyond posturing, say some officials.
In their first meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union ministers after a historic victory in Delhi last week, AAP leaders called for full statehood. Besides land, the state government also does not control the police force and bureaucrats.
Earlier today, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh asked the Delhi Police to extend full support to the AAP government.