Gurugram: Demolition of commercial building sparks heated spat between Cong leader, officials

Gurugram, Oct 1 (PTI) Dramatic scenes were witnessed in the Badshahpur area on Wednesday when a team from the Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG), accompanied by a JCB, demolished a commercial building reportedly owned by Congress leader Rajesh Yadav, who was also present at the site.

An argument broke out between Yadav, who is also an RTI activist, and officials who were there to raze the building, located in front of Tapasya GrandWalk Mall.

Yadav allegedly called RS Batth, district town planner (DTP), Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), a "contract killer," police said.

Alleging the action political, he said Batth was acting at the behest of BJP's Badshahpur MLA, Rao Narbir Singh, who is also a Haryana cabinet minister. Yadav challenged the officer to demolish Singh's farmhouse in Gairatpur if he had the courage.

Seeing the situation turning tense, the police took Yadav away. Later, a video purported to be of Yadav was released in which he can be seen apologising for his remarks against the DTP.

A video from the demolition site is circulating on social media in which Yadav can be seen claiming that the building received an eviction notice only on September 29, and a hearing in the matter has already been scheduled in a court.

The said building was reportedly constructed in approximately 1,000 square yards, allegedly without the necessary permissions.

A senior MCG official said that the corporation had issued a show-cause notice and a demolition order to Yadav, and, on September 29, the civic body issued the eviction notice. PTI COR AMJ AMJ