Various political parties and trade unions on Friday expressed their support for Vakeel Hassan, whose house was demolished by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in an anti-encroachment drive earlier this week. Mr. Hassan, a resident of Delhi, was part of the rescue team that brought out 41 workers from the collapsed tunnel in Uttarkashi last year.
AAP MLAs Akhilesh Tripathi and Rajendra Pal Gautam brought up the matter in the Delhi Assembly and sought the Lieutenant-Governor’s intervention.
“The poor build their homes painstakingly with their hard-earned money. For years, these authorities do not act, then suddenly, one day, they destroy the houses without notice,” Mr. Gautam said.
Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely lashed out at the Central government. “Vakeel Hassan’s house was demolished despite the Centre passing a law last year that prohibited demolitions in unauthorised colonies for the next three years,” Mr. Lovely said.
A CPI(M) delegation led by Brinda Karat met Mr. Hassan and his family on Friday. A statement released by the party later during the day termed the demolition “an example of the DDA’s callousness and corruption”.
In a joint statement, several Central trade unions, including INTUC, AITUC, HMS, and CITU, said reducing Mr. Hassan’s house to rubble was “an inhuman, vindictive action of the Centre”.
Meanwhile, sitting with his family members in protest near the remains of his demolished house for the second consecutive day, Mr. Hassan said, “I am not asking for much. I am only asking for my home to be returned to me.”
In a statement on Thursday, the urban body had said that it was not aware of “Vakeel’s recent contribution to the rescue operation in Uttarkashi” while claiming that he had knowingly encroached upon public land to build his house.
The DDA had offered Mr. Hassan a flat built for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in Narela on the instructions of Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, along with an offer of employment. However, Mr. Hassan had refused both.
Speaking to The Hindu on Friday, Mr. Hassan refuted DDA’s claim that he had built his house on public land. “I built my 80-yard plot in 2012 for over ₹33 lakh. I still have to pay ₹12 lakh on the loan. I will not leave my home and memories behind,” he said.
“My children go to school here, my sisters and brothers live here, and my business is in the area. How could the DDA or anyone else expect me to pick up my belongings and move to the outskirts of the city?” he said.
He has demanded that the DDA either rebuild his home or give him a plot in the same locality.
