Anti-encroachment drives by Delhi civic bodies spark protest, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan arrested

New Delhi, May 12 (PTI) 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.

While the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) carried out the drive in Madanpur Khadar and Dhirsen Marg, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) 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".

Naushad, a 32-year-old resident of the area, said the demolition began at 11 am and his brother's building was among the structures razed.

"The police as well as the civic body took money and allowed construction around 20 days ago. But despite that, they demolished it. My brother has papers for the plot he purchased from a farmer. The civic body took Rs 3 lakh from my brother. They are not even ready to speak to us now," he claimed.

Another resident of the area told reporters that the action was "politically motivated".

"There is no encroachment here and even if structures were built illegally then where was the SDMC when such buildings were being built?" he posed.

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 told PTI.

Later, in a statement, the SDMC said that 2.5 km of a road was freed of encroachment near the ISKON Temple road and Dhirsen Marg. In Khyala, a two-kilometre road was made encroachment-free while in Punjabi Bagh, encroachment was removed from a 2.2-km stretch, it said.

The fresh actions were a part of a series of anti-encroachment drives by the civic bodies since mid Apri.

On April 20, an anti-encroachment drive was carried out in Jahangirpuri which had witnessed a communal clash just a few days ago during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in the area. The drive was halted following a Supreme Court order.

In the following days, demolition drives were carried out in areas such as Shaheen Bagh, New Friends Colony, Dwarka and Najafgarh.

On Monday too, Amanatullah Khan had staged a protest during an anti-encroachment drive in Shaheen Bagh. An FIR was registered against him for "obstructing" officials from carrying out the exercise.

According to NDMC Commissioner Sanjay Goel, deputy commissioners have been asked to identify 10 areas in each of the six zones where there is large encroachment and action will be taken against those.

In a statement on Thursday evening, Goel said that temporary encroachments were removed from the KN Katju Marg in Rohini, Prem Nagar in Karol Bagh and from Turkman Gate area.

During the drive at K N Katju Marg, nearly 120 temporary structures and shanties as well as permanent platforms were removed. Also, about 3,000 square metre area was vacated in Prem Nagar, it said.

Till date, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation has sealed 100 meat shops and 70-80 temporary structures have been removed from its jurisdiction, the statement said.