RWAs condemn violence during bandh

New Delhi, Nov 2 (UNI) Resident Welfare Associations in the capital have expressed deep concern at the manner in which the three-day traders' bandh was handled by the Delhi government and the city police.

''That the entire city of Delhi was held to ransom during the three-day bandh, which affected school-going children and adults who had to bear with interminable traffic jams, speaks volumes about the intentions and the capacity of the administration and the government of Delhi,'' said People's Action President Sanjay Kaul.

''This sort of response is designed to let the protest slip into the hands of anarchists, so that vested political objectives can be achieved,'' he added.

Most RWAs across the city expressed deep disappointment in the way the CM had handled the situation. Many suspected that there was a tacit understanding between trader groups and political groups, in many cases, led by local councillors who were concerned about their electoral prospects in the coming Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections.

RWAs condemned the violence roundly. ''A few thousand traders in league with political parties cannot hold the city to ransom. The worst thing is that it looks like the Sheila Dikshit government and the opposition is supporting such an agitation,'' said Mr Ashok Prabhakar of Malviya Nagar RWA Federation.

Some RWAs including Ram Vihar, Mayur Vihar II, Dilshad Garden, Vishwas Nagar and Priya Enclave have already written a strong letter to Supreme Court Monitoring Committee against succumbing to traders demand.

United Residents' Joint Aaction East Delhi Convenor Rajesh Dokwal said ''The threats of about 45,000 traders -- facing resumption of sealing on Supreme Court orders -- has worked on the central and Delhi governments and led to a situation where the governments are prepared to condone gross illegalities committed by some organised traders by taking on the court itself.'' ''School children were forced to stay home due to fear of violence. There have been road blockades all over the capital which had disrupted normal life and prevented citizens from attending to their work. With the Delhi Police also being given clear instruction not to confront traders, road blockades and disruption of normal services were rampant,'' said Mr N N Mishra, another RWA member.

Mr V N Bali, RWA President from Ram Vihar in East Delhi said the government was bending over backwards to please the agitating traders.

''We have shot off a strongly worded letter to the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee arguing that the ability to strike and come out on the streets should not determine the facts of the case,'' he said.

The letter also criticised Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for attempting to bring a resolution that, according to the members of the RWA, attempted to defeat the orders of the apex court.

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