Shaheen Bagh demolition drive: SC refuses stay but bulldozers return without action amid protests

The Supreme Court Monday refused to entertain a plea filed by CPI(M) against the demolition drive in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area, saying it cannot interfere with the anti-encroachment drive at the instance of a political party. A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai asked the party to approach the Delhi High Court.

“Why is CPI(M) filing a petition? What is the fundamental right that is being violated? Not at the behest of political parties. This is not the platform. You go to the high court,” the bench said. The top court also said if hawkers are encroaching, they will be removed and in case there is any violation of law by authorities, the petitioner can go to the High Court.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation, which started a demolition drive in Shaheen Bagh today, told the court that no structure was being demolished in the process. 

When petitioners accused the civic body of bringing in the bulldozers without notice, it told the court “only encroachments are being removed, no structures are being demolished” and that “no notice was needed for routine encroachments”.

Earlier today, protests erupted in Shaheen Bagh with hundreds of people, including women, opposing the SDMC’s anti-encroachment drive as bulldozers rolled into the area in the presence of heavy police personnel. Following the protest, the SDMC officials, who were part of the anti-encroachment drive, returned with bulldozers without conducting the exercise. 

Protesters raised slogans against the BJP-ruled South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) as well as the central government and demanded that the action should be stopped. Some women protestors also stood in front of bulldozers to prevent the exercise. 

In December 2019, Shaheen Bagh was the centre of protests and sit-ins against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The sit-in was called off in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic had struck the city. 

Last month, an anti-encroachment drive conducted by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation in Jahangirpuri area, which witnessed violence between two communities on April 16, drew widespread criticism. The Supreme Court had to intervene to stop the action there.