NAGPUR: Tension prevailed in front of VNIT near Shewalkar Gardens in Gopal Nagar after the anti-encroachment squad of Laxmi Nagar zone went there to raze a temple of Lord Hanuman that was obstructing free vehicular movement. The agitation by Bajrang Dal and Congress activists forced the NMC to leave the drive midway, said assistant municipal commissioner of the zone Swarna Dakhane.
On Tuesday, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, after almost two years, relaunched its drive to remove illegal religious structures from roads, footpaths and public places. Armed with an excavator, the squad reached the spot at around 3pm. First, it successfully removed the idol and then started demolishing the temple. Before it could raze the temple completely, the news of NMC's action spread like a wildfire and soon Bajrang Dal activists reached the spot.
Before the squad could understand anything, the agitators first took the possession of the idol and then started raising anti-NMC slogans. "The agitators forced the civic body to stop its drive in middle," said the zone's assistant municipal commissioner, adding the drive will resume within a couple of days with police protection.
According to eyewitnesses, the agitators also tried to manhandle the civic employees. The NMC will lodge an FIR against the agitators on Wednesday. Additional municipal commissioner Ravindra Kumbhare said the NMC is firm to follow high court directions.
The NMC had launched the drive to remove illegal structures following directions from the high court and apex court. Later, the civic body divided the figures into two categories — A and B. Citing heritage value, NMC legalized 13 temples at Sangam Chawl, one Shiv temple at Morris College T-Point and a dargah at Wanjari Nagar in Dhantoli.
Category B has 1,504 illegal structures that pose law and order problem or obstruct flow of traffic and which cannot be regularized. As per court orders, these have to be removed or shifted. On May 19, 2015, the NMC launched a drive, removing 49 such structures, but it continued only for a few days.
On Tuesday, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, after almost two years, relaunched its drive to remove illegal religious structures from roads, footpaths and public places. Armed with an excavator, the squad reached the spot at around 3pm. First, it successfully removed the idol and then started demolishing the temple. Before it could raze the temple completely, the news of NMC's action spread like a wildfire and soon Bajrang Dal activists reached the spot.
Before the squad could understand anything, the agitators first took the possession of the idol and then started raising anti-NMC slogans. "The agitators forced the civic body to stop its drive in middle," said the zone's assistant municipal commissioner, adding the drive will resume within a couple of days with police protection.
According to eyewitnesses, the agitators also tried to manhandle the civic employees. The NMC will lodge an FIR against the agitators on Wednesday. Additional municipal commissioner Ravindra Kumbhare said the NMC is firm to follow high court directions.
The NMC had launched the drive to remove illegal structures following directions from the high court and apex court. Later, the civic body divided the figures into two categories — A and B. Citing heritage value, NMC legalized 13 temples at Sangam Chawl, one Shiv temple at Morris College T-Point and a dargah at Wanjari Nagar in Dhantoli.
Category B has 1,504 illegal structures that pose law and order problem or obstruct flow of traffic and which cannot be regularized. As per court orders, these have to be removed or shifted. On May 19, 2015, the NMC launched a drive, removing 49 such structures, but it continued only for a few days.
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