Former Delhi CM Atishi removed from protest site at Bhoomiheen Camp; ‘she has not been detained', says DCP
Former Delhi chief minister Atishi was removed from the anti-demolition protest site in the Kalkaji area Tuesday after the police claimed that she was asking people not to vacate the houses at Bhoomiheen Camp. The Delhi High Court had earlier dismissed petitions by the slum dwellers against the impending eviction and demolition.
Taking to X, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi posted, 'I have been detained at Baba Haridas Nagar police station (Jharoda Kalan), 43km from Kalkaji.'
Atishi Detention, Kalkaji Demolition, Bhoomiheen Camp, Delhi Police Action, Anti-Demolition Protest, Delhi High Court Ruling, Slum Dwellers' Rehabilitation Claims, Delhi Development Authority, Aam Aadmi Party, Slum Cluster, indian express
However, Hemant Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), South-East, said, 'She (Atishi) has not been detained. She has been removed from the spot under section 65 of the Delhi Police Act.'
The police said they were checking the situation at the site in view of the demolition to be carried out on Wednesday, when Atishi reached the Bhoomiheen Camp and instigated people, asking them not to vacate. After repeated reminders not to do so, officers had to remove her from the location to avoid unnecessary commotion, they said.
On Friday, while deciding pleas by 417 residents of Bhoomiheen Camp in Kalkaji seeking the court's protection from demolition of their settlements and rehabilitation, the Delhi High Court said, 'Encroachers cannot claim the right to continue occupying public land pending the resolution of their rehabilitation claims under the applicable policy, as this would unduly impede public projects.'
Reasoning that the right to seek rehabilitation, as it is, is not an absolute constitutional entitlement 'available to encroachers such as themselves', Justice Dharmesh Sharma added that 'determination of eligibility for rehabilitation is a separate process from the removal of encroachers from public land.' Of the over 400-odd petitioners, the high court granted some relief to around 30.
The nearly three-decades-old slum cluster was home to migrants from UP, Bihar and West Bengal, among others. The petitioners first moved the court in 2023, claiming that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), in 'an arbitrary and illegal manner, proposed to demolish their jhuggi-jhopdis'.
On June 2, minutes before petitions to stay demolition of homes at the slum in Southeast Delhi's Govindpuri were heard by a vacation bench of the high court, the civic authorities had already started razing down the hutments.
Sakshi Chand is working as an Assistant Editor with the Indian Express. She has over a decade of experience in covering crime, prisons, traffic and human interest stories. She has also covered the communal clashes in Kasganj, Aligarh, Trilokpuri riots as well as the North-East Delhi riots. Apart from being a journalist, she is also a National level basketball player and a coach. Before joining the Indian Express, she was working for The Times of India. ... Read More
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Centre flags ethanol levy as threat to green fuel mission, urges Punjab, Haryana, Himachal to reconsider fees
CHANDIGARH: The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has written to the governments of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, urging them to reconsider the fee levied on ethanol production in their respective excise policies, warning that the move may hamper the ethanol blending programme and escalate fuel prices. The ministry, in its letters to these state governments, stated that the provision to levy a Regulatory Fee (Ethanol Permit/Pass) in their excise policies could restrict the free movement of ethanol within and outside the states. This, it noted, would ultimately increase the cost of ethanol-blended petrol. The letters were addressed individually by Additional Secretary in the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Parveen M Khanooja. The letter to Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena was sent on March 27, followed by a letter to Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha on April 8, and another to Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi on May 23. This newspaper has copies of all three letters. Interestingly, of the three states, Punjab has an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, Himachal Pradesh is governed by the Congress, while Haryana is ruled by the BJP. 'It has been brought to the ministry's notice by oil marketing companies (OMCs) that as per the excise policy 2025–27 of Haryana state, there is a substantial increase in the licence fee/annual renewal fee for distilleries. Also, the aforesaid policy has introduced a fee of Rs 1 per bulk litre (BL) for issuance of pass for ethanol for mixing in petrol for use as automobile fuel." "Additionally, an import duty of Rs 1.20 per bulk litre has also been levied. Given that ethanol is already subject to Goods and Services Tax (GST), imposing an additional excise duty would constitute double taxation, which runs contrary to sound taxation principles and could be legally untenable, especially for a production crucial to a national programme like the ethanol blended petrol programme. "Furthermore, the increased costs resulting from the proposed fees and duty in excise policy 2025–27 are likely to raise the price of ethanol-blended petrol. Haryana and Punjab appear to be the sole states where such levies on ethanol specifically meant for blending with petrol have been imposed,' states the letter written to Rastogi by Khanooja.
New Indian Express
8 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Gandhi Nagar faces civic neglect as Delhi traders slam stalled ₹600 crore redevelopment
NEW DELHI: Once recognised as Asia's mega garment hub, Gandhi Nagar in East Delhi now stands as a symbol of civic neglect, economic decline, and repeated political betrayal. Despite ambitious promises under the government's Rozgar Budget 2022–24, local traders say not a single proposal has materialised — leaving over one lakh workers and traders clinging to hope. In 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced Gandhi Nagar's redevelopment with modern infrastructure: road resurfacing, multi-level car parks at Pushta Road and Shastri Park, improved metro connectivity, and better drainage. However, according to traders, none of these developments ever reached the ground. 'This market is just a name now. There's no real leadership, and only half the road has even been built,' said Himanshu Jain, a trader with over 40 years in Gandhi Nagar. 'Two slum clusters were demolished for highway work, and even the public toilets were removed. People are suffering every day.' 'Gandhi Nagar is known across India for garment and textile businesses — Sparky Jeans, started by Gautam Gambhir's father, is one of many success stories,' said Deshraj Malhotra. 'Yet, the market lacks even basic infrastructure to support traders and workers.' Malhotra, president of the Gandhi Nagar Market Association since 1980, was blunt: 'They promised Rs 600 crore for a multiplex. We collected parking fees in good faith, but no parking was ever built. It's been 15 years of struggle — for proper washrooms, drainage, and multi-storey parking. They said it would be beautified like Chandni Chowk. That was just an election-time story.'
New Indian Express
8 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Stalin seeks rehabilitation for Madrasi Camp families
NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin has written to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, raising concern over the 'humanitarian crisis' caused by the demolition of the Madrasi Camp in Jangpura on June 1. The move displaced around 370 Tamil-origin families, many of whom had lived there for decades. DMK MP TR Baalu personally handed over the letter to Gupta on Friday. In the letter, Stalin said that while 189 families were allotted EWS flats in Narela as per the Delhi High Court's order, the homes remain unfit for occupation due to lack of basic amenities like water, sanitation, and power. No transport facilities have been provided, leaving workers—especially women—unemployed and over 150 Tamil-medium children without school access. He also pointed out that 181 families remain entirely homeless. Stalin urged the Delhi government to complete and hand over the flats, provide necessary infrastructure, and relax norms under the Slum & JJ Rehabilitation Policy to support the rest. He requested the immediate setting up of Tamil-medium education facilities and transport. Stalin expressed hope the Delhi administration would respond with compassion and reaffirmed TN's willingness to assist in the dignified rehabilitation of displaced families.
