New 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.
Highlights
- Several establishments were demolished in Delhi's violence-hit Jahangirpuri.
- This triggered political sparring between the opposition and BJP.
- The BJP asserted it was a legal exercise that had nothing to do with religion.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Pertinently, the shops that were demolished belonged to both the communities.
- The process was stopped due to the Supreme Court's intervention which ordered status quo on the demolition drive against the alleged encroachers.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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)
