Karbala residents protest after Sunday's ruckus

The residents of a south Delhi colony held a protest in Jor Bagh on Monday claiming that the Delhi government and police had failed to take action against the people responsible for Sunday's ruckus outside Karbala dargah (shrine).

Residents of the B K Dutt Colony, which is just a few metre away from the Karbala dargah, claim that people who gathered outside the dargah as part of a Chehllum procession had destroyed their personal property during the riot-like situation. The protest began at noon and lasted till 6 pm, leading to traffic jam.

The crowd had clashed with the police after they were stopped from opening a locked gate of the dargah on Sunday evening. The gate is kept locked due to a land ownership dispute between government agencies and the dargah authorities.

“After the situation went out of control, the crowd broke window panes of our cars parked in the area. Some even threw flower pots on our cars, smashed window air-conditioners and coolers placed outside some homes,” said Sohan Lal Gadi, the Secretary of B K Dutt Colony Residents’ Welfare Association.

Angry residents staged a demonstration on the Sri Aurobindo Marg in front of the Jor Bagh Metro Station. Holding placards, they also raised slogans against the CM.

“The police failed to control the situation. They could have easily dispersed the crowd,” said Sanjay Nagar, president of the association.