Delhi: Protest against DDA demolition continues for 3rd day in Mehrauli

New Delhi [India], February 12 (ANI): The protest by locals against the Demolition Drive by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is underway for the third consecutive day in the Mehrauli for the third consecutive day on Sunday.

The agitated protestors could be heard sloganeering against the government and the DDA with slogans of “DDA haaye haaye”, “Taanashahi nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi”.
It has also been claimed from the site that the raging protestors threw red chilli powder on the security personnel deployed at the protest site.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police said that suitable legal action will be taken against some women who allegedly threw red chilli powder on the police personnel. They also clarified that police did not conduct lathi charge on any individual there and no one was injured.

“There was no lathi charge from the police. No one has been injured. They (locals) were obstructing the DDA personnel and police and some women also threw red chilli powder on police personnel. A suitable legal action is being taken against them,” the Delhi Police said.

An official statement from the DDA on Saturday said that the drive is intended to clear the unauthorised encroachments on the government’s land that houses protected monuments of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) among others was started by the DDA on Friday in co-ordination with Delhi Police at Lado Sarai Village falling in Mehrauli Archaeological Park.

The statement further read that a demarcation exercise, to identify the extent of unauthorized and illegal encroachment or construction, for the purpose of removing them, had been carried out as per the direction of the High Court by the Revenue Department, representatives, in the presence of DDA and Waqf Board representatives in December 2021.

“This park, adjacent to the iconic Qutub Minar is home to about 55 monuments under the protection of ASI, State Archaeological Department of GNCTD and DDA,” it added mentioning that the Delhi High Court has, on many occasions, directed the government authorities to secure, protect and preserve the area falling under Mehrauli Archaeological Park by removing illegal encroachment.

On February 11, the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government asked the DDA to stop demolition in south Delhi’s Mehrauli and the officials said that the residents cannot be displaced until fresh demarcation is conducted.

“Many residents of Village Ladha Sarai have represented against DDA’s demolition drive on the basis of faulty demarcation. I have advised Divisional Commissioner & DM south to carry out fresh demarcation in the presence of affected persons,” Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot tweeted.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Delhi High Court pulled up the DDA over demolition in Mehrauli despite a stay order till the next date of hearing, i.e., February 16.
This matter pertains to DDA’s demolition drive in different colonies falling under ward number 8 of Mehrauli.

Advocate Ankit Jain appearing on behalf of one petitioner Ruchi and 16 others moved a plea against the Delhi government, DDA and the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) stating that the properties of the petitioners are in the urbanised village Mehrauli, which falls within ‘Lal Dora’ land and has been duly registered with the Sub Divisional Magistrate’s Office, Mehrauli since the year 2001.

The sum and substance of the said demolition order are that some Khasra numbers, falling in the village ‘Ladha Sarai’, have been encroached upon by unauthorised occupants, the petition stated.

It is also said that the said notice to the properties falling in the village Ladha Sarai and the Mehrauli Archeological Park.

The notice granted the said occupants to evict the area within 10 days.
It was argued that the properties of the petitioners are falling in neither of the above. The petitioners’ properties are self-owned and have been in existence for more than 25 years. (ANI)