Cops turn open spaces into Games parking lots

It appears as if the Delhi Police will do anything in the name of security. Even if that means damaging a college playground or a cricket ground by turning it into a parking lot.

It appears as if the Delhi Police will do anything in the name of security. Even if that means damaging a college playground or a cricket ground by turning it into a parking lot.

HT Image

For the duration of the Commonwealth Games, the Delhi Police has turned the playground of the Dyal Singh College — metres away from the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, the main venue for the Games — into a parking space.

On Wednesday, Army trucks were seen parked in the college compound. This ground is being used to park vehicles of VIPs, including Members of Parliament and other dignitaries.

“The college will open on Friday. We have asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to restore the land to us. They said they would use the playground as a parking lot for the Commonwealth Games,” IS Bakshi, Principal, Dyal Singh College (Morning).

“Now that it is over, we would request them to rebuild the ground’s boundary walls and restore it to us,” Bakshi added.

“We had a series of meetings on the issue with higher authorities, including the chief secretary of the Delhi Government.

They have promised to develop the playground again, so that students can use it,” said Bakshi. Similarly, a cricket ground near the Chandni Chowk metro station is forcibly being used by the Delhi Police to park vehicles of Ramlila spectators.

As a security measure, parking vehicles anywhere in the Chandni Chowk area has been prohibited, till the completion of Dussehra celebrations.

“The Shanti Sports Complex, that includes a cricket ground, has been turned into a parking lot, to ensure there is no security risk,” said Sanjay Bhargava, general secretary, Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal.