Karol Bagh sealing called off as traders protest

“We will continue the sealing drive till we meet our target. We have asked police to remain alert as there could be law and order situation. We have to seal 180 shops,” said D V Verma,Deputy Commissioner MCD of Karol Bagh zone.

Most of the shops that are being sealed have been built on the passage between two shops. “They have encroached on government land. While the shopkeepers have left the ground floor as passage,they have built two-storey structures on top,” said Verma.

The shopkeepers,meanwhile,alleged harassment by MCD.

Vijay Dutt,general secretary of the traders association,said,“We have not been heard and they started sealing our shops. We will hold a candle march and protest against the drive.”

A senior police officer said the traders downed their shutters and took to streets in protest. “Around 2,500 to 3,000 traders in the area had come out to protest. They collected around 11 am and started shouting slogans against MCD officials. We had deployed around 150 policemen,including women officials,to control the crowd. In view of the protest,MCD has postponed the sealing drive. We are ready for the situation,” he said.