Demolition stopped, situation under control: Delhi Police
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 20 Apr, 2022 10:05 AM
New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Delhi Police Special Commissioner of Police Dependra Pathak said that the situation at the Jahangirpuri area of Delhi, where violence broke out four days ago, is completely normal and under control in the wake of demolition drive carried out by the Municipal Corporation.
"The demolition process has now been stopped and the law and order situation is under control. We're maintaining peace and tranquillity in the area," the Special Commissioner said while speaking to the reporters.
He also said that the police in large numbers were there to only provide protection to the civic agency while they carried out the demolition process. "We have adequate deployment and we are also in touch with the citizens of the area to maintain peace," the Special CP said.
The anti-encroachment drive began in the violence-hit Jahangirpuri area at around 10.40 a.m. in the morning. The first demolition was of a tobacconist's shop and then the JCB proceeded further to demolish another juice-cum-tobbacco vendor next to it. A double storey scrap dealer's shop was also razed to the ground.
Suddenly at around 11.10 a.m., the news of the Supreme Court ordering status quo over the demolition drive broke out and the bulldozers were halted to further carry out the demolition.
But in just 20 minutes, at 11.30 the JCBs again started the drive and a 2-storey juice corner was demolished at first after a brief halt.
The owner of the shop kept screaming and weeping, asking for help from the mediapersons, however, within minutes his shop was also razed to the ground. "My shop has been here since 1977. Why are they not checking my papers? Why is no official coming to talk to me. My shop was alloted by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA)," asked Ganesh Kumar Gupta, owner of the Juice corner.
The people residing in the vicinity of the demolition drive could be seen, watching the whole process from the rooftops and the windows of their houses. While speaking to IANS, several among them expressed their resentment over the government's strict action which came just four days after the severe communal clashes.
If Narendra Modi can be "stopped" in the next elections then India should still be able to protect its pluralist way of life and the longer he continues as Prime Minister, the greater the danger that the extent of India's "Modi-fication" will be irreversible, says Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu reiterated that he is committed to help the affected families monetarily and that they would not be left in the lurch.
Asha Kumari -- the Punjab in-charge of the All India Congress Committee -- was trying to defend a Minister who is being asked to step down for allegedly sending an "inappropriate" SMS text to a woman official a few weeks ago.
Surat-based billionaire diamond merchant Savji Dholakia is well-known for handing out lavish gifts to his employees on Diwali. And this year too, keeping with tradition, the billionaire does not disappoint.
A couple allegedly duped a jeweller in Ludhiana by giving him fake currency notes of ‘Entertainment Bank of India' for the purchase of 56 grams of gold jewellery worth Rs 1.90 lakh.
