Vendors and locals suffering due to illegal demolition: Maken

IYC activists were detained while protesting against the anti-encroachment drive

A Delhi Congress delegation was stopped by the Delhi police on Thursday from visiting violence-hit Jahangirpuri where the BJP-ruled North civic body conducted an anti-encroachment drive a day ago.

Speaking to reporters near the barricades put up to cordon off the area,former Union Minister Ajay Maken said poor street vendors were suffering the consequences of the BJP’s intervention in the civic body’s administration. He added that the demolition carried out on Wednesday was illegal as no notices were served.

“The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 was enacted to protect the livelihood of these poor people. It is a violation of the rule of law to carry out the bulldozing of structures despite the order by the Supreme Court to stop it forthwith. The bulldozing of the structures without completing the legal formalities was totally illegal, as these things should not be viewed in the prism of religion,” Mr. Maken said.

Delhi Congress chief Ch. Anil Kumar, who led the delegation, demanded compensation for those who suffered the brunt of the Jahangirpuri violence and subsequent bulldozing of structures.

“The Congress delegation has come to spread peace. The people in the area say that they had no enmity with each other as they have been living there peacefully all these years without any tension. Whatever happened was very unfortunate as the poor and innocents were the victims of the violence,” Mr. Kumar said. He also questioned why Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was keeping silent on the illegal demolition at Jahangirpuri at the instance of the BJP leaders.

Youth wing protests

On the same day, Indian Youth Congress activists were detained by the police while protesting against the anti-encroachment drive outside Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s residence. The police detained them from Akbar Road while on their way.

IYC national president Srinivas BV said the BJP is “creating an atmosphere of hatred in the country” and “using bulldozers to crush the peace and harmony”.