Delhi: DDA demolition drive in Mehrauli sparks protest, detentions, politics

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Friday demolished numerous three- and four-storey systems that had arise illegally at the organization`s land withinside the Aam Bagh, Brijwasi colony location of Mehrauli, evoking sharp reactions from the neighborhood citizens who stated they have been now no longer given any previous notices.

A joint crew of DDA officers, and police employees reached the Ghousiya slum colony location withinside the morning with a bulldozer, and primary commenced demolishing shanties close to a neighborhood mosque. Then, the crew reached Brijwasi Colony, C-block, wherein they demolished at the least one constructing fully, and partly eliminated more than one others, officers aware about the movement stated on Friday. Officials stated the force might also additionally retain on Saturday. A DDA spokesperson, however, did now no longer percentage the precise variety of homes and shanties that have been focused on Friday.

The location is positioned near the Mehrauli Archaeological Park. While a number of the land right here belongs to DDA, a few different stretches on which homes and shanties have arise during the last decade are owned with the aid of using the Archaeological Survey of India and the Waqf Board.

DDA had issued an order for demolition of those systems final year. In December 2022, DDA pasted a demolition order dated December 12 on diverse homes withinside the location declaring that authorities/DDA land of village Ladha Sarai falling in diverse khasras withinside the location became encroached upon with the aid of using unauthorised occupants.

“The stated land is a part of Mehrauli Archaeological Park and the present unauthorised encroachment is a issue to the improvement of the Mehrauli Archaeological Park. Therefore, all unauthorised encroachers are vulnerable to be evicted from the authorities/DDA land,” stated the demolition order issued with the aid of using the horticulture department of DDA.

Nirmal Gorana, convener, Mazdoor Awaz Sanghrash Samiti, stated that the Waqf Board, ASI and DDA have been locked in diverse courtroom docket instances with citizens of the location. Gorana stated that Friday`s force entailed the demolition of multi-storeyed homes.

“The courtroom docket has given a live at the demolition of systems on khasra no. 115. Despite the live, if DDA completed demolition on Saturday, we can gherao DDA office,” he added.

The Delhi excessive courtroom docket, meanwhile, ordered a standing quo on demolition movement as a few citizens of slum cluster, Ghousiya Colony, rushed to the courtroom docket. The excessive courtroom docket indexed the problem for similarly listening to on February 14, noting that the recommend for the authorities, consisting of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) and DDA, did now no longer have whole commands on Friday.

Sabra Begum, a resident of Ghousiya Colony, who has lived withinside the location for the beyond 20 years, is a few of the loads of humans withinside the locality who obtained the demolition order in December. While her residence became now no longer touched on Friday, she stated that DDA may come once more for demolitions. “DDA says that the land belongs to them, however, we had been residing right here for many years now.
Our ration card and all different files also are issued at the cope with wherein we now live. If at all of the popularity of the land became contested, why did no person do whatever in these kind of years while humans have been building excessive-upward push homes withinside the location,” stated Sabra.

Residents in C-Block, Brijwasi Colony, protested in opposition to the force. Aam Aadmi Party`s Malviya Nagar and Mehrauli legislators Somnath Bharti and Naresh Yadav additionally supported the citizens and defined the DDA movement as illegal. They have been a few of the 5 folks who have been later detained with the aid of using the police.

“We obtained a demolition observe in December first. After that, a illustration became despatched to the DDA with the aid of using citizens wherein we knowledgeable the frame that as in step with a 2017 land demarcation, our assets didn`t fall into the DDA location. However, any other current demolition observe became issued on February 3, and it became handiest served to us on Thursday evening. On Friday morning, they commenced demolition.
While one constructing became demolished completely, others have been partly demolished. The access gate of 1 constructing became damaged,” stated Sumana Singha, a resident whose residence is positioned on the road wherein demolition became completed on Friday.

Singha stated that her own circle of relatives became seeking to stable a courtroom docket observe however there has been a worry that the organization may retain with demolition on Saturday. Senior ASI officers stated that they have been now no longer concerned withinside the demolition force completed on Friday.

The Aam Aadmi Party blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the demolition. AAP MLA and MCD in-price Durgesh Pathak claimed that for the reason that BJP has misplaced the MCD elections, the birthday birthday celebration is focused on the terrible.

“BJP is making terrible Delhi citizens pay for its defeat withinside the MCD elections with the aid of using bulldozing hundreds of slums in Delhi. People in Mehrauli have been visible crying and begging in the front of police and BJP to prevent the demolition. If that they’d gained the elections, not anything would`ve happened,” Pathak stated. A BJP spokesperson did now no longer touch upon Pathak`s allegations.

A senior police officer stated, “We detained round 5 humans and eliminated them from the demolition spot seeing that they have been growing a ruckus and obstructing authorities officers. All of them have been later released. No case has been registered. Nearly six hundred police employees have been deployed withinside the regulation and order duty. The force will retain tomorrow (Saturday) amid tight protection arrangements.”