The BJP government in the state has arbitrarily demolished the homes of Muslims under the pretext of crime prevention.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Stepping into the shoes of his predecessor Shivraj Singh Chohan, Madhya Pradesh’s new Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has also adopted the bulldozer culture, first started in Uttar Pradesh by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Just a day after the new government took over with Yadav at the helm of affairs, the administration on Thursday bulldozed the homes of three Muslim men accused of attacking a BJP worker.
Devendra Singh Thakur, the Mandal General Secretary of the BJP Jhuggi Jhopri Cell, on December 5 reportedly faced a sword attack from one Farrukh after an argument over election results, the police claimed
After the incident, senior BJP leaders visited Thakur at the hospital and organised demonstrations, urging stringent action against the accused.
Apart from Farrukh, police have arrested four other Muslim youth identified as Aslam, Shahrukh, Bilal and Sameer.
On Thursday, bulldozers demolished the residences of three of the men, as officials alleged that they lacked the necessary permission under the building plan.
“We demolished the homes of the three men accused in the case after violations were found. The men got into a violent confrontation after they taunted each other over the election results. Farukh has a criminal record and charges under the NSA (National Security Act) have been slapped against him,” media reports quoted Manish Raj Singh Bhadoriya, the in-charge of Habibganj police station, as saying.
The BJP government in the state has arbitrarily demolished the homes of Muslims under the pretext of crime prevention.
Dispensations under the BJP across the country face accusations of extrajudicially demolishing several homes and businesses owned by Muslims. Muslim groups and rights activists term the action as “selective targeting” of Muslims accused by the police of criminal activities.
Former chief minister Chouhan was dubbed “Bulldozer Mama” by his supporters, a play on the title “Bulldozer Baba” attributed to his counterpart Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh.
The day when the new chief minister took over, he issued an order prohibiting loudspeakers/DJs at religious gatherings and public places from exceeding prescribed volume limits. He also announced an ‘intensive campaign’ to curb the ‘illegal buying and selling of meat, fish, etc.
On Thursday, government authorities demolished approximately 10 meat shops, media reports said on Friday.
