Delhi Police on Wednesday said that the situation in Jahangirpuri is totally under control and peaceful.
Reacting to the Supreme Court's order for status quo in the area where the North Delhi Municipal Corporation was to carry out a demolition drive, the Special CP Dependra Pathak said, "Let the civic agency (North Delhi Municipal Corporation) take a decision... we are here to provide support and protection to the civic agency."
Pathak affirmed that they have deployed security personnel for a very limited role of providing protection to the civic agency.
The civic body had scheduled an "encroachment removal action programme", wherein illegal construction in the Jahangirpuri area was to be removed on Wednesday and Thursday. For this, the civic body had asked for 400 personnel from the Delhi Police to "handle law and order" during the drive.
For the demolition drive, bulldozers had arrived in Jahangirpuri to demolish illegally constructed slums and shops.
"My shop has been here for the last 15 years. No one had ever objected. Now, after the violence, they realise that my shop is illegal," one of the shop owners, whose property was demolished by North DMC, told ANI
Another shop owner alleged that he was not provided with any notice or any kind of prior information ahead of the demolition drive. "They are not even ready to see the documents of the shop. I was not even informed that this is about to happen," he said.
However, North DMC Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh refuted the allegation and said, "Everyone was informed about the planned action. Neither we do anything illegal, nor will we tolerate any illegal constructions."
"We have not damaged anybody's properties or shops, but only illegally extended structures were demolished," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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