Delhi’s Bulldozers Demolish Houses of the Poor in Fatehpur Beri

On Friday, 21 October, bulldozers of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) demolished around 25 houses in South West Delhi's Fatehpur Beri without any prior notice and with the aid of the Delhi Police. A team of activists and lawyers consisted of Akash (AICCTU), Anupradha (AILAJ), Naushad (AISA), and Suman (AIPWA) visited Fatehpur Beri to express their solidarity with the people and explore ways to stop further demolition. The team learnt that not only did the DDA not issue any prior notice but it also refused to produce the relevant court orders when the people demanded it.

In order to force the issue, the Delhi Police resorted to lathi charge injuring several people including women, and male policemen manhandled the protesting women residents. The residents of the demolished houses were not even given time to rescue their household goods. The DDA officers have threatened to come back with bulldozers after Diwali and demolish more houses.

Fatehpur Beri is a predominantly Muslim locality and the police demolished the houses during the time of Friday prayers. They even told the residents that they would face the kind of bulldozing that Muslims of Uttar Pradesh are having to deal with, under the Yogi government. Notably, the local MLA Kartar Singh Tanwar, belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also refused to intervene on behalf of the residents.

CPIML condemns the DDA's refusal to serve any prior notice and thereby give the residents a chance to approach the court and seek a stay. The party also condemned the brutal police action and demanded that there should be no further demolition without prior notice, due compensation should be given to the victims of this sudden demolition, and the guilty policemen should be punished.