Fernandes leads agitation against airport modernisation

New Delhi, Feb 5 (UNI) NDA Convenor and former Defence Minister George Fernandes today joined protests and dharnas organised by affected people from the Scheduled Caste community against eviction of 6,000 people from lands by Airports Authority of India and Delhi Development Authority in the name of airport modernisation.

Addressing the villagers of Nangal Dewat, Mr Fernandes alleged that the authorities had barricaded the entire village which had been a home for the people for over 300 years reducing the village to an undeclared prison house. ''They had blocked the entire drainage and turned the village into a filthy overflowing gutter.'' Referring to protests by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee at Singur in West Bengal, Mr Fernandes said '' she had shown a way to the victims of capitalist policies of the government. The citizens are treated worse than animals as a result of purported economic policies of the government.'' He demanded that the government rehabilitate the entire village before the government took steps to evict the villagers for airport modernisation. ''The dharnas will continue until such time,'' he declared.

UNI