Delhi BJP leaders meet Amit Shah

PTI, Apr 20, 2022, 7:43 PM IST

New Delhi: A group leaders from the BJP’s Delhi unit on Wednesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on a day the North Delhi Municipal Corporation carried out an anti-encroachment drive in violence-hit Jahangirpuri which was stopped on a Supreme Court order.

Bulldozers tore down several concrete and temporary structures close to a mosque in Jahangirpuri as part of an anti-encroachment drive by the BJP-ruled civic body, days after the northwest Delhi neighbourhood was rocked by communal violence.

The Supreme Court had to intervene twice to stop the drive after it took cognizance of a petition filed by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind against the demolition.

BJP’s Delhi unit president Adesh Kumar Gupta, MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, party leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa were among those who met the home minister at his office at North Block.

However, the BJP leaders were tight-lipped about the issues they discussed with Shah.

Officials said the recent violence at Jahangiripuri and the Wednesday’s demolition drive might have figured at the meeting.

Delhi’s all three municipal corporations, which were now merged into one, were ruled by the BJP.

The anti-encroachment drive continued for one-and-a-half hours even after the Supreme Court directed authorities to stop it.

The drive continued because of the absence of a written order from the Supreme Court. It was stopped as soon as the order was received, a civic official said.

The Supreme Court directed the apex court Secretary-General to convey the earlier order to stop demolition in the riots-hit Jahangirpuri here to the NDMC Mayor and the Delhi Police Commissioner immediately.

So far, the Delhi Police arrested over 20 people in connection with the clashes that erupted during a procession on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti last week. The stringent National Security Act was also slapped against five of the arrested people.