MCD Continues 'Anti-Encroachment' Drives Across Delhi

The anti-encroachment drive had sparked protests and pelting of stones in the Madanpur Khadar area on Thursday.

Locals carry their belongings during an anti-encroachment drive in New Delhi. Image used for representational purposes.

(Photo: PTI)

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Friday, 13 May, initiated anti-encroachment drives in various parts of the national capital, including a civic stadium at Mangolpuri, which had been illegally occupied by a few people who had also "brought in cattle inside its premises," a senior official said.

The property comes under the education department of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), another official said.

The senior official said, "Action was under way in Mangolpuri at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium, where the inner area was encroached upon by few people and cattle had been brought in inside its premises [sic]," news agency PTI reported.

In light of the action, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will reportedly chair a meeting with all AAP MLAs at his residence on Saturday morning, PTI reported officials as saying.

As per the report, a strategy will be formulated to counter BJP's demolition drives.

Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, stating that "the ongoing bulldozer drive led by BJP-ruled MCD might render around 60 lakh people homeless."

Sisodia appealed to Shah to hold the authorities accountable.

The MCD also conducted an anti-encroachment drive on Khayala Road in the Vishnu Garden area, in Samaypur Badli, and Prem Nagar in Karol Bagh zone, where action was taken earlier as well, officials said.

Officials informed that the MCD authorities on Thursday had written to the local police in Bawana area to provide sufficient number of personnel for an action to remove "unauthorised meat shops" and illegal structures on Friday.

The anti-encroachment drives had sparked violent protests and pelting of stones in the Madanpur Khadar area on Thursday, where locals claimed that legal structures were bulldozed.

Meanwhile, hours after being arrested by the Delhi Police for protesting against an anti-encroachment drive carried out by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) in the Madanpur Khadar area on Thursday, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan was sent to judicial custody.

The leader was granted bail by a local court on Friday.