Two dead as Delhi shopowners strike turns violent
(AFP)
20 September 2006
NEW DELHI - At least two people were killed and more than 100 detained on Wednesday during violent protests against a court-ordered crackdown on illegal shops in the Indian capital, a report said.
Thirty police were injured as they used baton charges and tear gas to subdue stone-throwing mobs of several hundred, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency said. Shops and businesses across the capital had closed in response to a call by the Confederation of All India Traders for a peaceful protest against a Supreme Court order this month to close and dismantle more than 18,000 illegal buildings. The court order follows an unpopular drive by the municipality in the federal state of Delhi to stop the illegal building of shops and houses in the city of more than 14 million people. Protests turned violent as demonstrators pelted stones at buses, private and police vehicles throughout the city, with the largest crowds gathering in the eastern neighborhood of Seelampur, PTI and television reports said. Live television broadcasts showed police and anti-riot troopers dragging away demonstrators and charging at others as they demonstrated against the drive. Since September 1, hundreds of buildings have already been sealed or razed, leading to emotional outbursts and protests by residents who have seen long-time shops and businesses shut and demolished.
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