North MCD Officials Stop Short of Razing Down Mosque, Brinda Karat Stops JCB

New Delhi: Days after communal violence during religious procession in Jahangirpuri locality and amid tense situation, Municipal Corporation of North Delhi began its anti-encroachment drive on Wednesday. In the process of demolition, the North Delhi MCD officials were close to bulldozing the mosque structure. They said the demolition drive will continue until they don’t receive a written order from the Supreme Court staying anti-encroachment drive. 

In less than an hour after the drive began, the Supreme Court halted the bulldozers ordering status quo on the matter. The court has posted the case for urgent hearing tomorrow. But even after the court’s order the authorities continued to raze concrete structures, CPM leader Brinda Karat stopped the JCB machine by standing before it feet away from a mosque. The Left leader said she was here to uphold the Supreme Court’s order of status quo. 

CPM leader Brinda Karat intervened and stopped the demolition drive @TheMornStandard @santwana99 @NewIndianXpress #Jahangirpuri pic.twitter.com/yfGjfADE1n

— Ankita Upadhyay (@ankitaup) April 20, 2022

After the communal clashes, the Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta had written to the mayor asking him to identify illegal constructions by those who were involved in the clashes and demolish them. This morning the civic body sent nine JCB machines to Jahangirpuri locality and the municipal staff started razing shops and other structures in the presence of police to prevent any law and order situation. The mayor has called the anti-encroachment drive a “routine exercise” while the timing is being criticised as it came after the BJP’s chief letter to the civic body.

#UNIONSPOT@cpimspeak #SupremeCourt #NDMC #Jahangirpuri #HanumanJayanti #BrindaKarat

Credit: UNI/Chanchal Mukherji pic.twitter.com/1QZVJEFgVd

— United News of India (@uniindianews) April 20, 2022

The situation is still tense since Saturday’s communal clash that broke out during a Hanuman Jayanti procession. Nine people, including eight policemen were injured in the ensuing violence.

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