Traders protesting sealing of 'shops' lathicharged, arrested

New Delhi, Mar 6 (UNI) More than 50 traders were arrested after the agitation of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), protesting the proposed sealing of commercial units in residential areas, turned violent at Jantar Mantar this afternoon.

The traders who wanted to march towards the Parliament turned violent after they were stopped from proceeding further from the agitation spot at Jantar Mantar, said Additional DCP (New Delhi) Manish Agarwal.

''We had rounded up several of then for breaking the cordon and resorting to violence. Later we arrested 51 of them including Confederation of All India Traders Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal.'' A mild lathicharge was also resorted to after water cannons failed to make the desired impact on the uncontrolable crowd, said the ADCP.

''The agitators, who had stared assembling at about 1130 hrs, turned 'rudderless' after a while and there was nobody to control them leading violent scenes. They resorted to brickbatting which forced us to step in.'' They seemed to have no plan of action and did not know how to go about the agitation which led to unruly elements taking advantage and precipitating a crisis, he added.

CAIT general secretary Praveen Khandewal said nearly 100 traders were arrested and several people injured in the police lathicharge on thousands of small traders who were marching towards the Parliament, he said.

''After staging a demonstration at Jantar Mantar demanding intervention of the Union Government in the matter and introduction of a Bill in the current session of Parliament to regularise shops located in residential areas, we tried to move forward but were lathicharged and nearly 100 of our colleagues, including myself, forcibly arrested.'' Ten to twelve traders were injured in the lathicharge and had to be hospitalised at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, he added.

Leading trade bodies of Delhi like the Delhi Traders Sangharsh Morcha, Federation of South Delhi and North Delhi Traders, Federation of Rohini Traders Association, Delhi Rajya Vyapar Sanghthan and Delhi Retail Trade Forum participated in the demonstration.

Earlier, addressing the protestors at Jantar Mantar, Mr Khandelwal criticised the ''lethargic'' role of the Government in solving the matter, which he said, directly affect five lakh traders and 25 lakh employees and their families.

Delhi Vyapar Sangharsh Morcha President Ramesh Khanna said the government had failed to come out with any rehabilitation plan for the traders and their employees once their shutters are forced to be closed.

''Was the Government prepared to let lakhs of traders and their employees go jobless and homeless,'' he asked.

UNI AN-AR VD KP1855