The Delhi municipal corporation arrived in Shaheen Bagh equipped with bulldozers and heavy police, and paramilitary forces to carry out an anti-encroachment drive. Here are a few points of the events that unfolded on the ground:

“This is a bulldozer of hatred. It is completely unconstitutional. We will not let this demolition happen,” a party leader said.

While speaking to the media, Khan stated that he had himself inspected the whole area and spoken to every official, including the traffic police.

“I had, with my own JCB, removed a toilet that was illegally constructed outside a mosque. This is just vendetta politics. Just tell me where the encroachment is. If still there is an illegal structure. Tell me, I will myself remove it. I am the local MLA,” the AAP MLA said.

“Municipality will do its work, our workers and officials are ready, teams & bulldozers have been organised. Encroachments will be removed wherever they are,” Rajpal, chairman of the standing committee of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), central zone, was quoted by news agency ANI.

Earlier, Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta had written to the civic body’s mayor last month, demanding removal of encroachment by “Rohingyas, Bangladeshis and anti-social elements”.

(The copy has been updated with inputs from IANS)

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