Anti-encroachment drive: Mehrauli locals clash with police, DDA

New Delhi: Locals in Delhi's Mehrauli clashed with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials and police on Sunday, creating a situation during an anti-encroachment drive there, IANS reported.

Also, reports surfaced that the Delhi Police unleashed a lathi charge at locals to contain the situation, but the police denied it.

DDA conducted the second day of the anti-encroachment drive in the area on Sunday, and expecting a conflict, a large number of police personnel were deployed there.

After the Sunday brawl, police alleged that local women threw stones at them, but there were no injuries reported.

"They also threw chilli powder on us. We have initiated legal action against those involved," police said.

Meanwhile, the locals there alleged that authorities gave no care when the buildings were built, but now they had come with all their forces to demolish the local houses.

On Saturday, Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party urged the DDA to stop the anti-encroachment drive in Mehrauli. Government officials said that Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot had ordered a fresh demarcation exercise in the area.

Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot has ordered a fresh demarcation exercise in the area, they said. The minister said the residents of the area could not be displaced until a fresh demarcation is conducted, they added.

The officials claimed that DDA had based the Revenue department's demarcation as its ground for the demolition of alleged encroachments.

The anti-encroachment drive reclaimed around 1,200 square metres of government land in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park area on Friday.