Agitating mob hold Delhi to ransom; govt refuses to budge

Agitating mob hold Delhi to ransom; govt refuses to budge
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, NOV 20: Agitated industrial workers and owners today went on a rampage across the capital, damaging and setting afire public property in protest against the closure of polluting units in residential areas, as per the Supreme Court order, even as the Delhi Government asserted that it will ``abide by the law and implement the order in action''.

Delhi Police Commissioner Ajai Raj Sharma told reporters that as many as 35 incidents of arson, including burning of buses, a fire tender and a railway engine, were reported from various parts of the capital and police was forced to use teargas to disperse mobs which had blocked traffic resulting in massive traffic jams across the metropolis.

``The situation is under control,'' Sharma said adding four companies of Rapid Action Force had been deployed to assist the city police.

The trans-Yamuna area and West Delhi were the worst affected where the agitationists, who were observing a `Delhi Bandh', called by several associations, set ablaze public buses and damaged an office of MTNL.

Meanwhile, Delhi Lt Governor Vijai Kapoor and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said closure of polluting units would continue as per the Court's order. However, Dikshit appealed to the Centre to amend the master-plan and redefine the service industries.

A delegation of BJP MPs from Delhi met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee seeking his intervention in the matter. They also demanded that non-polluting units should not be targeted and city's master-plan be amended.