New Delhi

A bulldozer that was brought for Monday's anti-encroachment drive in Shaheen Bagh in the national capital, has now left the area and moved towards Sarita Vihar.

The 'illegal encroachment' (an iron structure or a shuttering or formwork in front of a building) was manually removed by the people even as the bulldozer stood by during the proposed demolition drive.

However, the situation remains tense and the area is still packed with hundreds of people moving around.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan, who is also on the spot, interacted with the officials. The people raised slogans in favour of the AAP MLA.

Khan told the media that he had himself inspected the whole area and spoken to every official, including the traffic police.

"I had, with my own JCB, removed a toilet that was illegally constructed outside a mosque. This is just vendetta politics. Just tell me where the encroachment is. If still there is an illegal structure. Tell me, I will myself remove it. I am the local MLA," the AAP MLA said.

The locals also said that all the illegal structures in the area were already removed by the people just a few days back.

Monday's demolition drive came 19 days after a similar drive was conducted in Jahangirpuri after the area was rocked by communal violence. In that drive, several illegal structures, including cold drink booths and shops, were demolished.