High drama during MC drive

Our Correspondent 

Ludhiana, October 18

Tempers ran high and a small group of irate crowd gathered around a religious structure put up on part of main Humbran Road here to offer resistance as a team of the building branch of the Municipal Corporation descended on the site to clear the encroachment. 

But for the presence of MC police and deft handling of the tense situation by officials, events could have taken an ugly turn. However, better sense prevailed among the protesters who were persuaded to disperse and religious structure was removed, albeit after a minor scuffle between protesters and the police. 

The debris and malba was also shifted elsewhere in an MC vehicle to foil any attempt by the aggrieved persons to reconstruct the structure. MC officials said some of those causing obstruction in the way of removing encroachment from government land were identified and video of the whole incident was recorded. But as of now, no formal complaint has been lodged with the police, said the MC officials.

As the MC building branch team, led by ATP Vijay Kumar and ATP (Headquarters) SS Bindra, arrived at the spot with a police contingent and field staff of the building branch, a crowd, including shopkeepers, local residents and attendants at the roadside ‘mazaar’, gathered around the MC officials and put up resistance. 

A few protesters raised slogans and there was exchange of hot words. There was a minor scuffle with policemen as well. But unfazed MC officials stood their ground and told the people that encroachment was being removed in compliance with the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. “The protesters were firmly told that criminal cases would be registered against them if they obstructed action being taken by the MC team and they would better stay away and disperse in their own interest,” said an MC official. 

A senior MC official said, “Even a slight provocation could trigger mob violence and situation could turn explosive if crowd is inaptly handled.”