New Delhi: On day three of the sealing and demolition drive, civic authorities faced huge protests from residents and traders in south Delhi while traders' associations sent letters to both the presidents and prime minister requesting their intervention in the matter.
Areas like Greater Kailash I and II, Malviya Nagar, Darya Ganj and New Rajinder Nagar were targets of the capital's civic authorities Monday.
Hundreds of people in Jamrudpur and Greater Kailash-I came onto the roads, halting the sealing operation for over two hours.
"The work was delayed by a couple of hours but we have resumed our operation. It's very natural that people will protest when their house gets sealed. It's a matter of their livelihood and we can understand that anger," said S C Bhandari, deputy commissioner (south zone), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
Bhandari said the operation would continue as per the directions of the Supreme Court and added that they would avail police protection if required.
Traders in the capital sent letters to President A P J Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to bail them out of the crisis.
"We have sent letters to both the prime minister and the president and have sought an appointment with them," said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).
"We think, the top leadership of the country should have a look at the issue on a purely humanitarian angle," Khandelwal said.
On Sunday, hundreds of children of traders' families held a protest rally in Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi as a mark of protest.
In their quest to seal over 45,000 commercial establishments operating in residential areas, civic authorities have so far sealed over 400 units in all the 12 zones of Delhi.
After a three-month gap, the sealing drive resumed Sep 1 following a Supreme Court directive, which stayed the May 20 notification of the Central Government allowing a one-year moratorium on all such activities.
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