Sealing drive | 7 lakh traders down shutters

The national Capital witnessed a complete shutdown of the markets on Tuesday after more than 7 lakh traders observed a day-long ‘bandh’ to protest the the ongoing sealing drive in Delhi. 

The strike was called by the Confederation of All India Traders following lathicharge by the police on traders last week at Lajpat Nagar’s Old double Storey where they had been protesting the sealing drive. 

“The traders of Delhi will stand united against this unjustified punishment given by the government. We would come on roads if necessary but this sealing drive will not be allowed,” said Praveen Khandelwal, president, CAIT. 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called an all-party meeting on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing sealing crisis in the capital. While the BJP boycotted the meet, the AAP and the Congress will meet a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee to seek a solution to the traders' problems. 

“Instead of attending the meeting, the BJP is doing politics. They did not want to participate in today's meeting. The discussion for traders was necessary and if needed, we will again call a meeting and appeal to the BJP to attend it,’ deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.

The sealing drive is being conducted by the municipal corporations on the directions of the SC-appointed panel for "misuse" of residential premises for commercial activity, unauthorised constructions and increased floor area ratio encroaching upon public land. The panel was set up in 2006, when a mass sealing drive was conducted in the capital.