‘Got court orders since 1990 on encroachment, nothing changed’: Chandni Chowk shopkeepers protest against MCD, police

Last November, the Delhi High Court, while hearing a PIL filed by the body, had issued an order, directing the police and MCD to remove illegal hawkers and encroachments from the area within two weeks. The court, in its order dated November 22, 2024, had further directed MCD, Public Works Department. Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation, Delhi Police, and the Traffic Police to file a status report within two weeks.

While referring to the HC order, the market body on Monday accused the MCD of civic apathy. Sanjay Bhargava, president of the association, and a dealer of a textile brand near Sunehri Masjid in Chandni Chowk, said, “We have got court orders since 1990, directing the removal of encroachments… Last November, the Delhi HC ordered the removal of illegal hawkers within two weeks. But nothing has happened…. We have had 40-50 court orders on this issue, our organisation has till now spent crores on lawyers to tackle it.”

Raising concerns over poor sanitation in the area, Bhargava noted that public urination is common in the market.

Amid the ongoing protest, Praveen Shankar Kapoor, spokesperson of the Delhi BJP and General Secretary of the Chandni Chowk Nagrik Manch, issued a press statement. “The shopkeepers and residents of Chandni Chowk are all patriots and will not hold any protest or Gandhigiri demonstrations during the Independence Week, August 9 to 15,” the statement read.

Kapoor, in his statement, claimed that the BJP’s Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal has significantly improved the cleanliness and reduced encroachments in the market. He added that the negligence by the PWD, MCD, and local police led to the deterioration of Chandni Chowk.

Responding to the statement, Bhargava said, “We are aware of this and we’ll take a call on the protest when required.”

Ashok Kumar Jaiswal, who has been selling fruits for over 20 years in Chandni Chowk, was intrigued when he came across the demonstrations. When informed that the protest was against “illegal hawkers”, fear and confusion grew in his eyes. Jaiswal questioned where he would go now, unaware of the designated hawking zones put out by the civic body. “Whenever some official comes, we run packing our things, so that they don’t take it away, we have to fill our stomachs,” he said.

Despite a ban on the entry of all motorised vehicles, including two-wheelers, from 9 am to 9 pm in the area, motorists openly flout the rule, as the lanes of the market can be seen dotted with vehicles, all throughout the day.

When contacted, Manish Kumar, Assistant Commissioner (MCD SP Zone), said that regular drives are conducted to remove hawkers sitting at the non-hawking zones. Drives are also held to remove rickshaws that are operating in the market without authorisation, he claimed.