Supreme Court of India Halts Anti-Encroachment Drive in Violence-Hit Delhi’s Jahangirpuri

Last week, violence broke out in Delhi's Jahangirpuri area after some Muslims threw stones on a Hindu religious procession to mark birthday of Lord Hanuman. Later, the police arrested the main suspect for conspiring to cause the violence.

As Delhi's civic authority launched an anti-encroachment drive in Jahangirpuri area on Wednesday morning days after people threw stones at a Hindu religious procession, the Supreme Court of India ordered it to stop the action and maintain the status quo in the matter.

Bulldozers were used to carry out the civic body's drive.

The court's ruling came after senior advocates Dushyant Dave, Kapil Sibal, P.V. Surendranath, and Prashant Bhushan approached the country's Chief Justice N.V. Ramana on behalf of a plea filed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, an organisation of Islamic scholars.

Calling the anti-encroachment drive completely illegal, advocate Dave stated: “Something serious requires your immediate intervention. This is about a completely unconstitutional and illegal demolition that has been ordered in the Jahangirpuri area, where riots took place last week."

Since such demolition drives require a notice to be served to the people affected by them, Dave said no such notice was given by the civic authority — the Municipal Corporation.

"There is a provision for appeal under the Municipal Corporation Act," Dave said. "We have filed a provisional application before the Supreme Court. It was supposed to start at 2 p.m. [IST]. But they started the demolition today morning at 9 a.m., knowing that we will mention it.”

After hearing the plea, Chief Justice Ramana said: "Maintain status quo. Let the matter be taken up tomorrow [Thursday] along with the other matter."

The anti-encroachment drive issue was also mentioned in the Delhi High Court, where the counsel had sought that the demolition drive be stopped till 2 p.m.

It was argued in the High Court that Jahangirpuri area residents were not given any prior warning, and several of them were not even at home.

However, according to media reports, the local officials continued the eviction of people despite the Supreme Court’s order, saying that no orders had been received by them till that time.

But later the drive was stopped, nearly two hours after the Supreme Court's orders.

Muslim Leader Owaisi Terms Eviction Drive 'War Against Poorest'

Earlier Wednesday, a prominent Muslim MP questioning the scheduled anti-encroachment drive set to be carried out by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled civic authority in Jahangirpuri area.

In a series of tweets, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi described the civic authority's action as the “BJP’s war against the poorest”.

He also shared the letter from North Delhi Municipal Corporation to a senior police officer seeking security for the “special joint encroachment removal programme”.

Owaisi alleged that the action was meant to “destroy the homes of poor Muslims”.

Asaduddin Owaisi Calls Anti-Encroachment Drive in Jahangirpuri as 'BJP's War Against Poorest'

© Photo : Twitter/@asadowaisi

He also asked Delhi State Chief and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal, “whether the people of Jahangirpuri voted for him for such a betrayal and cowardice?”

Asaduddin Owaisi Questions Delhi State Chief Arvind Kejriwal's Intention on Anti-Encroachment Drive in Jahangirpuri

© Photo : Twitter/@asadowaisi

Owaisi's comments came amid an exchange of allegations between AAP, which rules the Delhi Government, and the BJP, which rules the three civic authorities of the city, over the main accused Mohammad Ansar.

On Tuesday, the BJP had alleged that Ansar was linked to the AAP and demanded that the role of the city's ruling party in the violence should be investigated.

In response to the allegation, AAP lawmaker Atishi Marlena and spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj alleged that Ansar actually had “deep ties” with the BJP.

Anti-Encroachment Drive in Riot-Hit Jahangirpuri

Days after communal clashes broke out in Jahangirpuri, the BJP’s Delhi unit chief Adesh Gupta wrote to the Mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), demanding identification and demolition of “illegal encroachment” and construction by those who have been arrested in connection with the Hanuman Jayanti day violence.

Gupta wrote: "These anti-social elements and rioters have the support of local AAP lawmaker and councillor and as a result these people have done large-scale encroachment. Therefore, illegal encroachment done by these rioters should be identified and bulldozers should be run over it.”

Later, NDMC Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh wrote a letter addressing the Deputy Commissioner of Delhi Police (North West region), the Assistant Commissioner of Civil Lines Zone of North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

He requested the deployment of 400 police personnel, including female police and outer force officers for maintaining law and order during the encroachment removal action on 20 and 21 April.

His letter, however, made no mention of the recent violence in the area.

Talking to reporters on Tuesday, the Mayor said: “The drive was part of routine work. The anti-encroachment drive will take place across Delhi. Earlier also we had requested security for the drive but due to some reasons the action was not taken."

Jahangirpuri Violence and Police Arrests

Last Saturday, several people including police officers suffered injuries in the Jahangirpuri riots after stones were thrown at the Hindu religious procession.

The Wednesday's action by Delhi's municipal authority led by the pro-Hindu BJP to remove 'encroachments' in Jahangirpuri area followed Saturday's incident of stone-throwing allegedly by Muslims the Hindu Hanuman Jayanti procession.

Incidentally, Saturday's incident followed Hindu-Muslim violence witnessed just a few days earlier in some states during a separate religious procession by Hindus to mark the Ram Navami festival. Muslims alleged offensive slogans were chanted to instigate violence while the procession passed through their localities, but Hindus denied the allegations.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have so far arrested at least 25 suspects, 14 of whom appeared before the city's Rohini area court on Sunday.

The court ordered prime suspects Mohd. Ansar and Mohd. Aslam into police custody for one day. The remaining 12 were placed in judicial custody for 14 days.