Anti-encroachment drive: What's happening in Shaheen Bagh?

People of Delhi's Shaheen Bagh protested on Monday against the Anti-encroachment drive by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

The team of South Delhi Municipal Corporation had reached here to remove the encroachment with the help of the Delhi Police. However, within a short time, the local people sat on the streets and were seen stopping the bulldozers brought to demolish the illegal constructions.

Earlier on Friday, the encroachment was to be removed. However, it was postponed due to an insufficient number of security forces. Delhi Police were present at the spot on Monday morning. The encroachment removal process stopped as soon as it started.

A few days ago, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation in Delhi's Jahangirpuri had also started a campaign to remove illegal constructions. The Supreme Court ordered a halt to the campaign after it was alleged that the proceedings were initiated without giving any notice. The hearing of this case is going on in the Supreme Court.

Local people are opposing the action of the Municipal Corporation. Along with this, supporters of Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have also come out in support of the local people. AAP MLA from Okhla Amanatullah Khan has said that they had already removed the encroachment from the area and now there is no illegal structure left here.

“Our workers and officials are ready. Teams and bulldozers have been organised. Encroachments will be removed wherever they are -- be it in Tughlakabad, Sangam Vihar, New Friends Colony or Shaheen Bagh,” Rajpal was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

On the ongoing action in Shaheen Bagh, SDMC Central Zone Standing Committee Chairman Rajpal told news agency ANI before starting the action, "The Municipal Corporation will do its job. Our staff and officers are ready. Teams and bulldozers have also been prepared. Be it Tughlakabad, Sangam Vihar, New Friends Colony or Shaheen Bagh."

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation had prepared an action plan for a 10-day campaign to remove encroachments from these areas. The first phase of this campaign will run till May 13.

Earlier, due to lack of adequate security forces, the encroachment drive had to be stopped in Kalindi Kunj-Jamia Nagar and Srinivaspuri areas.

After protesting against the removal of encroachment, BJP Delhi President Adesh Gupta said in a press conference, "Today the way AAP and Congress leaders are lying in front of the bulldozers to save the encroachments, the public is watching them. Delhi will lie down. They have come in support of terrorists, they have come in support of Bangladeshi Rohingyas."

You can connect with Ground Report on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Whatsapp and Subscribe to our YouTube channel. For suggestions and writeups mail us at [email protected] 

ALSO READ

• Which are the best VPNs to use in 2022?
• Social media ban: Kashmir using VPNs to stay connected
• ‘Which VPN are you using’: Afghan diplomat trolled for using Twitter in J&K blockade