Hundreds of people protested outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Monday against the use of bulldozers and “illegal demolitions” in Nehru Colony and other localities, demanding action against those responsible, compensation for demolished homes, and rehabilitation for displaced residents.

According to the protesters, the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF) and the district administration demolished hundreds of homes and places of worship in Nehru Colony, a 70-year-old settlement, on the intervening night of May 29 and 30, while residents were asleep.

Led by Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leaders, the demonstration was part of an ongoing sit-in by the ‘Nehru Colony Bachao Sangharsh Samiti’ outside the Municipal Commissioner’s office since June 15. Organisers said the protest followed a week-long campaign across affected colonies.

‘No prior notice’

Residents said no prior vacate notice was issued, while thousands of homeowners received verbal threats to vacate. Multiple families said they possessed ration cards, Aadhaar cards, electricity meters, voter IDs and family IDs, and that several generations had lived in the colony for decades.

The MCF issued a formal notice on June 2, three days after the demolitions began. The notice cited metro railway infrastructure work as the reason for demolition drive and stated that land from “120 feet on the culvert side to 160 feet on the mosque side” must be cleared within a week for a metro station. It added that action would follow the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, with compensation and resettlement for affected families.

Protesters questioned why the notice was issued after the demolitions and why it mentioned only a specific section, while verbal orders allegedly forced the entire colony to vacate. They also raised concerns over the cutting of water and electricity supplies and the imposition of a ban on public gatherings under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

‘Blatant disregard’

CITU leaders said land acquisition for any project required timely notices, compensation assessment, and stakeholder dialogue, with rehabilitation arranged before demolition in residential areas. “The demolition of houses and religious sites in Nehru Colony blatantly disregards these legal norms,” said CITU Haryana general secretary Jai Bhagwan, adding that residents in dozens of other colonies faced similar threats.

Protesters alleged that the drive aimed to free prime land for “specific ruling party leaders and property dealers”, displacing lakhs of people. “Homes built through the blood, sweat, and toil of thousands of families are being destroyed. Families are living under the open sky or in tents by the roadside, with schools about to reopen,” one of the protesters said, preferring anonymity.

Letter to CM

After the protest march to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, protesters submitted a memorandum to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, demanding the immediate halt of demolitions of houses, shops, and religious places in Nehru Colony and other Faridabad colonies, compensation and in-situ rehabilitation for families whose homes and shops were demolished, and compensation and re-establishment of demolished religious sites.

The protesters also demanded a judicial inquiry into the bulldozer drive and legal action against those who ordered and executed it, immediate restoration of water and electricity in Nehru Colony, and better public amenities, including paved lanes, sewerage, primary health centres, and government schools in Nehru Colony and other colonies.

Municipal Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata refused to comment on the matter, saying it was “sub judice”.