An illegal and forced eviction occurred on Tuesday by the traffic police, leaving almost 35 street vendors helpless.
Story so far: On Tuesday, 35 street vendors were evicted from areas around Banashankari Metro station, despite having the necessary documents to set up shop.
- A representative from the street vendor town vending committee argued that no necessary protocol was taken by the traffic police during the eviction process. As the traffic police do not have the authority to evict without the BBMP’s presence, the entire eviction was illegal.
- The vendors were not informed in advance, and alternative places were not provided to the vendors when they were evicted.
Conflict in opinion: The vendors feel that the eviction was unfair, and they were not given prior notice. An officer in the BBMP argues that they have been warning the street vendors for days, and this decision was made to reduce the risk of accidents.