Anti-encroachment drive: Bulldozers reach Delhi's New Friends Colony, Mangolpuri, day after Shaheen Bagh

After Shaheen Bagh, the demolition drive against illegal encroachment was underway amid heavy security arrangements in New Friends Colony and Mangolpuri area of the national capital on Tuesday. AAP MLA Mukesh Ahlawat has been detained by the police in Mangolpuri for allegedly blocking the demolition drive.

JCB bulldozers were deployed to demolish all illegally constructed temporary structures.

The police force along with para-military personnel were deployed in adequate numbers to handle any untoward situation that may arise due to the demolition process. The police personnel could also be seen atop the buildings to monitor the situation.

"When people have vacated the area, why is the North MCD creating an inconvenience by using bulldozers? We're against it and it should be stopped. They need to prove first that there is an encroachment," said Ahlawat to reporters.

In a report by NDTV, an inconsolable resident of Mangolpuri, Bindu said, “I have been running a vegetable shop for the past 35 years, I am not an outsider, I am from Delhi. SDMC ordered us a day before to move our shops and I moved it but they still destroyed our shop. Don’t know how I will survive now.”

Notably, the Municipal Corporation had already conveyed to the people about the demolition and several illegal encroachments were removed by people themselves.

Delhi DCP Sameer Sharma on the anti-encroachment drive in New Friends Colony said, "Situation is completely in control. People are cooperating."

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) also on Tuesday carried out anti-encroachment drive on Gurudwara Road in New Friends Colony as civic officials reached the spot with bulldozers and removed illegal temporary structures, the authority said.

On Monday, chairman of Central Zone, SMDC, Rajpal Singh had stated that the municipal corporation has a roadmap ready for the next 15 days and that encroachments by both poor and rich will be removed from Delhi without any bias. The money spent by the SMDC to remove the encroachment will be compensated by property owners, he claimed.

This comes a day after the civic body had to return without executing the action in Shaheen Bagh on Monday following protests by locals and political leaders.

Singh said the anti-encroachment drive had begun in areas around New Friends Colony, which falls under the Central Zone of the SDMC.

"Our enforcement teams along with adequate police force and equipment such as bulldozers and trucks have started removing illegally set up kiosks, temporary structures, shanties or shops from near Baudha Dharma Temple, Gurudwara Road and nearby areas in New Friends Colony. Our drive against encroachment will continue," Singh told PTI.

SDMC's drive in Shaheen Bagh had witnessed people protesting in large numbers against the action and a complaint was also registered against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan for obstructing the drive.

The Supreme Court had also refused to entertain a plea filed by the CPI(M) against the demolition drive at Shaheen Bagh, saying it cannot interfere in the matter at the instance of a political party.