‘Bulldozers are not just breaking our homes. They are breaking our faith in justice,’ says an elderly man in Orai
NEW DELHI/JALAUN – In yet another example of what many describe as selective bulldozer justice against Muslims, the Uttar Pradesh administration on Saturday demolished the home of Majid, a local resident accused in connection with the Jalaun violence case.
The incident traces back to a quarrel at the Shatabdi Travels office in Orai in Uttar Pradesh, where a dispute over a video recording involving a couple allegedly escalated into stone-pelting, arson, and vandalism. Police registered cases and arrested five people, including Majid.
What followed has stirred deep concerns among Muslims across the state: the administration brought in bulldozers and razed Majid’s house located on Jail Road, claiming it was constructed illegally. At the same time, officials demolished the Shatabdi Travels office, also said to be unauthorised.
While the state insists this is part of its “zero tolerance policy”, Muslim community leaders argue that such measures are applied selectively and almost always against Muslims.
Speaking to Clarion India, Rashid Khan, a local resident, said: “Whenever there is a disturbance, the administration brings bulldozers only to Muslim houses. Why do they not demolish the properties of Hindu accused in other riots? This is not justice, it is discrimination.”
Activists also raised questions on whether demolishing homes, often built after years of hard work, can be considered legal punishment without a proper court trial.
Superintendent of Police Dr Durgesh Kumar stated: “Five accused have been arrested, including Majid. More people have been identified through CCTV footage. No one who disturbs law and order will be spared.”
The SP added that the authorities were also investigating illegal properties owned by the accused and that government land encroached upon had already been cleared.
Despite official statements, unease has spread among Muslims in Jalaun and neighbouring districts. Locals believe the action reflects a larger trend in Uttar Pradesh, where bulldozers are frequently sent to Muslim homes after any allegations, regardless of the scale of the incident.
Shabana Begum, a school teacher in Orai, said: “We Muslims feel like second-class citizens now. Majid may be guilty or not, but only the court can decide that. Destroying his home before a fair trial is an attack on all of us.”
Legal experts note that bulldozer actions have become a political symbol in Uttar Pradesh under the present government. The measure is justified on grounds of “illegal construction”, but in practice, critics say, it has been used disproportionately against Muslims.
Advocate Nadeem Akhtar said: “The Constitution does not allow collective punishment. By demolishing homes of Muslims accused in any incident, the state is bypassing courts and treating an entire community as criminals.”
Muslim organisations have urged the state government to stop the bulldozer policy and respect the rule of law. They have also appealed for impartial investigations into incidents of violence rather than instant punitive action targeting one community.
For now, Majid and four others remain in custody, while many more are under police watch. But beyond arrests, the real question troubling residents of Jalaun is whether Muslims will ever receive equal treatment under the law.
As one elderly man in the crowd outside the demolished house said softly: “Bulldozers are not just breaking our homes. They are breaking our faith in justice.”
