After the Supreme Court ordered status quo to be maintained until further orders on the razing of buildings in violence-hit Jahangirpuri area on Thursday, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC) Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh said that they will follow the apex court's order and not conduct the anti-encroachment drive in the area. However, he asserted that demolition drives would continue in other areas under its jurisdiction.
"I also want to clarify that the civic body will keep taking action against encroachers. We will identify illegal encroachments and send notices to them and take action," Singh said.“The Supreme Court has asked for status quo to be maintained for another two weeks,” Singh added. As many as 20 structures, including the exterior gate of a place of worship, were razed on Wednesday in Northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, after the NMC ordered an “anti-encroachment drive”.
To stop the anti-encroachment drive in the area, the top court had to intervene twice, after it took cognizance of a petition filed by the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind against the demolition. Addressing the media, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Delhi unit chief Adesh Gupta said, "I am also going to write letters to South and East MCD Mayors to remove illegal encroachments by Bangladeshis and Rohingyas living there." He also slammed Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), saying they were trying to protect "rioters" in Jahangirpuri. "Congress and Left leaders have gone to Jahangirpuri to appease the rioters. I have also learnt that Mamata Banerjee (TMC chief) is also coming to meet them," he said.
Clashes erupted between two communities during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in Jahangirpuri on Saturday with both Hindus and Muslims accusing each other of triggering the violence. At least nine people, eight of them police personnel, were injured during the clashes.