The demonstration by the local residents against the demolition drive by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) continues for the third day in a row on Sunday in South Delhi’s Mehrauli amid protests by the local residents of the area. An anti-encroachment drive turned ugly on Sunday after locals clashed with the DDA officials and police personnel.

It has also been claimed from the site that the raging protestors threw red chilli powder on the security personnel deployed at the protest site. The police also alleged that local women pelted stones at them. However, no one was hurt in the incident. According to police, some women protesters were detained on Sunday in this regard.

The agitated protestors could be heard sloganeering against the government and the DDA with slogans of "DDA haaye haaye", "Taanashahi nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi".

On Sunday, a group of women staged a protest against the demolition drive and alleged that they were lathicharged by police personnel deployed at the spot. Denying the allegations, a senior officer said, "There was no lathicharge and no one was injured. They (protesters) were obstructing the DDA personnel and the police.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police said that suitable legal action will be taken against some women who allegedly threw red chilli powder on the police personnel. The local residents have alleged that authorities were hand in gloves when the buildings were built and now the administration had come with full force to demolish their houses. The residents, however, claim that they have got the land registered in their name after paying hefty money.

Meanwhile, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday urged the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to stop its ongoing demolition drive in Mehrauli and demanded a fresh demarcation exercise in the area, officials said. Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot said that residents of the Mehrauli area can’t be displaced until a fresh demarcation exercise is conducted in the area.The Delhi High court on Friday pulled up the DDA over demolition in South Delhi's Mehrauli despite a stay order till the next date of hearing.The DDA has been carrying out the drive since Friday amid police security, triggering protests from local residents and a blame-game between the AAP and the BJP.

An official statement from the DDA on Saturday said that the drive is intended to clear the unauthorised encroachments on the government's land that houses protected monuments of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) among others was started by the DDA on Friday in co- ordination with Delhi Police at Lado Sarai in Mehrauli Archaeological Park.

Gahlot stated in his statement that the DDA has used the revenue department’s demarcation as the primary tool in its demolition campaign. But the Delhi government made changes to the demarcation after finding several shortfalls in it.

The locals had no knowledge regarding demarcation, and the demolition process started without serving any notices to them, the minister said.

Earlier, a demolition order dated December 12, 2022, was pasted on the walls of illegal structures on the land along with markings with directions to the "encroachers to remove all the unauthorised construction from the land in question within 10 days", it said.According to the notice, the land on which the demolition is being carried out is part of the Mehrauli Archaeological Park and the "existing unauthorised encroachment is acting as a hindrance to the development of the Mehrauli Archaeological Park".

The action was taken as part of a demolition drive that will continue till March 9, officials said on Friday. It comes a month ahead of a G20 meeting planned to be hosted at the archaeological park in south Delhi.