NEW DELHI: Minor scuffle erupted between locals and the police force during an anti-encroachment drive being carried out by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) in Madanpur Khadar on Thursday. The drive was conducted amid heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel. As bulldozers rolled into the area and mowed down various underconstruction buildings, which people said were upcoming houses, local residents started raising slogans and tried to stop the drive.
According to police officials, they had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the agitating crowd, who were “manhandling” police personnel. CRPF teams could be seen wearing helmets and using batons to disperse the protesting locals. Also, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Okhla, Amanatullah Khan, who reached the spot along with his supporters, at around 11.30 am, when the drive had just started, participated in the protest leading to minor clashes with the police force. Khan was detained from the spot and loaded onto a bus while an FIR was lodged against him by Thursday evening following which he was arrested.
An FIR was registered against him during a similar drive being carried out in Shaheen Bagh on Monday. Khan, who staged a dharna in Khadar colony, located along the Yamuna riverbed, was detained as the assembly turned violent. Over 200 locals gathered to stop the bulldozer from razing the brick structures. Locals alleged that police tried to push them and lathicharged them.
When the locals resisted, the police started detaining people but some of them ran and even hurled stones at the police. Vehicles parked in the area were damaged and a few locals sustained injuries during the lathicharge. Police said their personnel were also hurt while they detained 12 people including Khan and two women. “It was an unlawful assembly. We were only trying to control it but the crowd resorted to manhandling cops on the spot.
They were hitting us. The mob was agitated. We had to retaliate and hence had to use the baton. We detained a few persons for attacking police, obstructing government work and disrupting the peace. They will be released soon,” said a senior police officer. DCP (Southeast) Esha Pandey refused to comment. “A total of four under-construction residential buildings were partly demolished by the MCD. One of the owners, a woman named Soni, was also detained,” the officer said.
Before being detained Khan told media persons that he will not “tolerate” people’s houses being demolished. “I will not tolerate this. I don’t mind going to jail. They (police) threatened me. I am now silently protesting… it is my right. I am here for Hindus and Muslims who are losing their homes. I was told about the demolition in the morning,” he said.
Locals, house owners puzzled over notice
While locals and house owners alleged they weren’t given any notice about the demolition, officers said notices were sent 15 days back. AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan claimed he was told about the demolition on Thursday morning