Delhi sealing: AAP to hold protest march today, asks Centre to stay drive

The party plans to carry out a protest march at 11am on Monday from Patel Nagar Metro Station to Parliament House. The party MLAs will also meet the L-G to put forward their demands.

Intensifying its stir against the ongoing sealing drive by civic bodies, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said it will carry out a march on Monday from Patel Chowk Metro Station to Parliament House. The protest march, AAP said, is being held to demand that the Union government puts a stay on the drive and bring an ordinance, amending building bylaws.

The party has demanded that the Union government should put a stay on sealing drive and bring an ordinance amending building bylaws. (Raj K Raj/HT FILE)

“All AAP MLAs, municipal corporators, Rajya Sabha members from Delhi and workers will take out the march at 11am from Patel Chowk Metro station to Parliament House,” said AAP spokesperson, Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday.

The officials of three municipal corporations are supervising a sealing drive that started last month in accordance with the instructions of a Supreme Court-appointed panel. Shops and restaurants being sealed have either not paid conversion charges, the premium for converting residential premises into commercial ones, or have flouted permitted floor area ratio (FAR) norms.

With the AAP accusing the BJP-ruled civic bodies of harassing traders, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had urged the Centre to consider bringing an ordinance for amending building bylaws to protect traders from sealing.

The party has also scheduled a meeting of its MLAs with Delhi lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal to request him to ensure an amendment in the Master Plan for Delhi, 2021.

“All MLAs of AAP will be meeting L-G to request immediate changes in MPD 2021. He is also the chairman of Delhi Development Authority and can easily help stop sealing in Delhi,” Bhardwaj said.

The AAP has alleged that the BJP-ruled civic bodies have been harassing traders in the garb of the sealing drive. Earlier also party has taken out protests over the issue.