New Delhi: Rapid Action Force has been called into action in Delhi's Karol Bagh area after angry shopkeepers took to streets protesting against the sealing of their shops.
Shopkeepers in Karol Bagh blocked roads and pelted stones to protest against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) actions.
Delhi traders are observing a bandh for the second day on Friday.
The protests have erupted because the MCD is sealing commercial establishments in areas, which are meant to be used for residential purposes only.
These protests have followed after the Supreme Court had given owners who filed affidavits three months to shut shop.
The Urban Development Ministry on Tuesday issued a notification amending the 2001 Delhi Master Plan and allowing small shops to continue commercial activities on the ground floor of residential plots.
But, the Supreme Court had already ordered a complete sealing of all shops in residential areas.
A trader from Karol Bagh, says, "The judgment by Supreme Court is not right. We will all have to sit with begging bowls." While another trader from South Extension said, "It's do or die today."
While the judiciary is taking MCD to task for not executing the orders, the fact remains that the agency is facing public opposition from all corners of the Capital.
The MCD successfully sealed the CTC Plaza, a showroom, in South Delhi and some other showrooms in South Extension also. But in Karol Bagh, traders and MLAs courted arrest before the MCD could seal any property.
The Resident Welfare Associations (RWA) are also upset, but for other reasons. They support the court's initiative, but point out that these shops should never have come up in the first place.
They blame the MCD for the present state of affairs. "Whatever has been sought to be condoned by this notification, has happened under our noses, in front of us, over these last 25 years. Why?," questions a member of the RWA, Romi Chopra.
While complete confusion prevails over the fate of commercial complexes in residential areas, it's the urban planning of the Capital, which has gone for a toss.
(With inputs from Arunima and Neha Seth)
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