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News India Jahangirpuri demolition: Opposition says poor, minorities targeted; BJP refutes claim | 10 points

Jahangirpuri demolition: Opposition says poor, minorities targeted; BJP refutes claim | 10 points

Several concrete and temporary structures close to a mosque were brought down this morning as part of an anti-encroachment drive by the BJP-ruled civic body in Delhi's Jahangirpuri.

jahangirpuri violence, delhi violence, anti encroachment Image Source : PTINew Delhi: A bulldozer being used to demolish illegal structures during a joint anti-encroachment drive by NDMC, PWD, local bodies and the police, in the violence-hit Jahangirpuri area.
Poorva Joshi New DelhiApril 20, 2022 23:51 IST

During an anti-encroachment drive on Wednesday, several establishments were demolished in Delhi's violence-hit Jahangirpuri area on Wednesday. This triggered political sparring with the Opposition alleging it was a demolition of India's constitutional values which targeted the poor and minorities and the BJP asserted it was a legal exercise that had nothing to do with religion.

Here are today's top developments:

  1. Several concrete and temporary structures close to a mosque were brought down this morning as part of an anti-encroachment drive by the BJP-ruled civic body in Delhi's Jahangirpuri.
  2. The demolition drive went on for quite some time and among the demolished were a tobacco shop, a scrap dealer's shop, a juice corner, and the front gate of a mosque.
  3. Pertinently, the shops that were demolished belonged to both the communities.
  4. The process was stopped due to the Supreme Court's intervention which ordered status quo on the demolition drive against the alleged encroachers. 
  5. The Chief Justice directed the status quo on the demolition drive and agreed to list the matter for hearing on Thursday before an appropriate bench.
  6. As soon as the bulldozers stopped, the opposition started criticizing the move, and said that it reflected that the poor and the minority were getting targetted. However, BJP asserted it was a legal exercise which had nothing to do with religion.
  7. Several opposition leaders like Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, and AAP leader Manish Sisodia criticized the move.
  8. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi even tried to reach the riot-hit area, but was stopped by the police. He compared the incident to 1976's Turkman Gate demolition.
  9. TMC has decided to send an all-women fact-finding team to Jahangirpuri on Friday. The team comprising six MPs will submit its report to party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
  10. Facing criticism over its demolition drive, the BJP-ruled North Delhi Municipal Corporation on Wednesday termed it a routine exercise in which around two-kilometre stretch was cleared from encroachments and said squatters were also removed from the same area on April 11 this year.

(With PTI Inputs)

Also Read: Jahangirpuri demolition: Where is the Opposition?

Also Read: Owaisi stopped from visiting Jahangirpuri, lashes out at BJP, AAP over demolition drive

 

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