Amidst protests, Delhi civic bodies carry out more demolition drives
NEW DELHI: Civic authorities on Thursday carried out anti-encroachment drives in various parts of Delhi that sparked protests and pelting of stones in the Madanpur Khadar area where the locals claimed that legal structures were bulldozed.
AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, who was a part of a protest in southeast Delhi’s Madanpur Khadar, was arrested on charges of rioting and obstructing public servants in discharge of their duty, police officials said. Khan has been sent to judicial custody.
While the South Delhi Municipal Corporation carried out the drive in Madanpur Khadar and Dhirsen Marg, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation took action in Rohini and Karol Bagh.
Delhi’s three municipal corporations — South, East and North — are ruled by the BJP.
SDMC officials said four illegally built buildings and other temporary structures were razed during the drive.
“We targeted four illegally constructed buildings in the area. Two were razed fully while the other two were partially demolished and then sealed. Temporary structures were also removed,” an official said. As bulldozers, surrounded by SDMC officials and the police, rolled into Kanchan Kunj in Madanpur Khadar to raze alleged illegal structures, locals, including women, gathered on the streets and atop buildings to oppose the action.
According to the police, people pelted stones at security personnel but were chased away. Security personnel were seen wearing helmets and carrying batons to disperse the crowd during the protest.
Earlier in the day, police officials said that Amanatullah Khan was detained along with others for obstructing the drive. Khan had then claimed that Delhi Police has arrested him. “Delhi Police has arrested me. Can imprison me, not my spirits,” he tweeted in Hindi.
Later, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Esha Pandey said, “An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Amanatullah Khan along with five supporters have been arrested for rioting and obstructing public servants in discharge of their duty.”
The locals alleged the civic authorities had “taken money” to allow construction there and termed the demolition action “politically motivated”.
Earlier in the day, Khan alleged that the drive in Madanpur Khadar was against the poor as he appealed to his supporters to reach the area to hold a protest.
“I will not let the houses of the poor be bulldozed. Arrest me if that saves houses from being demolished. We are also against encroachment. Tell us about those and we will remove them. There is no encroachment here,” the AAP MLA said.
SDMC Central Zone Chairman Rajpal Singh however refuted Khan’s allegation, saying the drive was against the “mafia” who encroach upon government land. “Our enforcement teams along with an adequate police force and equipped with bulldozers and trucks have started removing illegal buildings, kiosks, and temporary structures in Madanpur Khadar. Our drive against encroachment will continue and anyone obstructing it will be dealt with accordingly,” he said.