Ajit Singh bungalow row: Police crack down on protesters

Police on Tuesday detained at least 250 protesters to prevent them from gathering at 12 Tughlaq Road bungalow occupied by RLD chief Ajit Singh, for a planned meeting demanding its conversion into a memorial of former prime minister Charan Singh. Since morning, Delhi police barricaded several roads in the Lutyens zone and shut down Race Course Road metro station from 8.20 AM to 7.25 PM to prevent protesters from reaching the bungalow.

According to a senior police official, Section 144A (joining unlawful assembly) was imposed outside the bungalow. BKU and RLD activists were detained from Prithvi Raj Road, Safdarjung Road, Man Singh Road and other roads which led to the bungalow and were taken to police stations at Parliament Street, Tilak Marg and Mandir Marg. They were released by the police a few hours later. Police had already said the gathering was "illegal" and all those trying to participate in the 'Jat Mahapanchayat' will be detained.

The barricading of major roads around Tughlaq Road caused traffic snarls in various parts of central and south Delhi in the morning rush hour. The cascading effect was felt at INA, Teen Murti, Aurangzeb Road, Rajesh Pilot Road and several other roundabouts as traffic remained heavy. The bungalow is currently occupied by RLD chief and former union minister Ajit Singh who has refused to vacate the government property and has demanded that the bungalow be converted into a memorial to his father.

The government, however, had rejected the demand, saying the Union Cabinet in 2000 had banned conversion of government bungalows into memorials. According to a Delhi Traffic Police official, Prithviraj Road and Safdarjung Road were open for traffic but roads around Tughlaq Road have been shut down. Singh, who lost the recently held election, was served the eviction notice and electricity supply to the sprawling bungalow was disconnected by authorities last week.