Locals attack Cantt board office after demolition

NEWDELHI: Residents of Delhi Cantonment protested outside the headquarters of Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB) on Thursday after the agency demolished shops and houses in East Mehram Nagar and other areas. They also vandalised the office of DCB chief executive officer B Reddy Sankar Babu.

DCB officials said the protesters were accompanied by the local AAP MLA, Surender Singh. `Commander Singh, however, claimed that he was not there when the CEO’s office was vandalised. I condemn the act. I reached there after the incident took place. I had gone to the DCB headquarters along with some residents to talk to the CEO to stop them from demolishing a Valmiki temple. he added.

In the afternoon, DCB removed 20 shops and some houses in East Mehram Nagar and Jharera village as part of a demolition drive despite stiff resistance from locals. "Our officials were manhandled and vehicles were damaged, said Reddy.

In the evening, the AAP legislator came along with the protesters to the DCB headquarters. The locals started throwing stones at the headquarters before barging into the premises, said Reddy, who was in the conference room when the protest started. They broke open the door, entered my chamber and vandalised it. There were many women. Though the MLA asked them not to vandalise the office, they Didn’t listen to him, added the CEO, who later lodged an FIR at Sadar Bazaar police station.

Another FIR was lodged by the board officials against the protesters for attacking them at the demolition sites.

The MLA said locals were upset as their homes had been demolished. "The board has carried out demolition in East Mehram Nagar, Kirbi Place and other areas. They have demolished slums. I had spoken to the CEO in the morning about it. But the civic agency went ahead with the drive, Singh said.

Cantonment board officials claimed that the drive was carried out as per the procedure. They (locals) have constructed houses and shops on defence land. Some locals had gone to the court but

Couldn’t get any relief. The demolition was carried out to reclaim the defence land and due process was followed. We had called them thrice for consultation. But they didn’t vacate the land, said Reddy.