Rashtriya Lok Dal supporters fought a pitched battle with the police in Muradnagar.
The Centre's action against former ministers overstaying at their official bungalows met with politics and a stiff roadblock on Thursday. Protesters from the Rashtriya Lok Dal fought a pitched battle with the police practically in Delhi's backyard against the eviction of their chief Ajit Singh.
Besides blocking the arterial National Highway 58 at Muradnagar, 38 km from Delhi, and causing massive traffic jams, the RLD supporters had even tried to cut off the water supply to Delhi. In the clashes that followed, 20 people - police and protesters - were injured.
For over three decades, Mr Singh has been in possession of a Lutyen's zone bungalow at Delhi's Tughlak Road - which had been occupied by his father, former Prime Minister Chaudhury Charan Singh. Now, with the Centre pressurizing him to vacate the place, his supporters have been demanding the house be turned into a memorial after late Charan Singh. (Read:
RLD Supporters Demand Charan Singh Memorial in New Delhi)
What brought matters to a head was the disconnection of power supply to the house two days ago. It was ordered after repeated eviction notices and a quasi-judicial order failed to have any effect. (Read:
Power, Water Supplies Disconnected at Former Minister Ajit Singh's House)
But with elections approaching in Haryana, the issue has been tied to Jat pride and Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has written to Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, seconding the demand for a memorial. (Read:
Evicting a Former Minister Isn't Easy. Ask the Delhi Police.)
The Centre objects, pointing out that such a demand had not been made in the last 27 years, or even after Charan Singh's death in 1987. Had Mr Singh, a minister in the UPA government, wished for a memorial, it could have been easily granted.
In his reply to Mr Hooda, Mr Naidu pointed out that in 2000, the Union cabinet had "banned such conversions and this has been issued as a policy guideline". Further, in July 2013, the Supreme Court had also asked the Centre not to convert bungalows into memorials, he wrote. (Read:
Ajit Singh Eviction Row: Full Text of Venkaiah Naidu's Letter to Bhupinder Singh Hooda)
"It's not about the bungalow but the sentiments attached to it. Farmers want it as a memorial. I am vacating the bungalow on September 25, but our party will continue the fight for the memorial," Mr Ajit Singh told NDTV.
Mr Singh is among 30 former ministers and parliamentarians, whose power supply were disconnected by the New Delhi Municipal Council. Jitendra Singh and Mohd Azharuddin were also in the list.