Authorities in Uttar Pradesh (UP), in northern India, have bulldozed the homes of several Muslims who are suspected of being involved in violent religious riots.
Derogatory statements regarding the Prophet Muhammad made by two former leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prompted the protests.
Demonstrations in several states turned violent, with protesters causing property damage.
In the state of Uttar Pradesh, more than 300 persons have been detained.
Three Muslim-owned homes were razed over the weekend by local authorities, who said they were built unlawfully, an allegation rejected by some of the proprietors.
Opposition leaders condemned the demolitions, accusing the state administration, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, of discriminating against the minority Muslim population.
Religious polarization in India, according to critics, has worsened since the Hindu nationalist BJP came to office in 2014. Over the last few years, hate speech and violence against Muslims have increased dramatically.
Mrityunjay Kumar, Mr Adityanath’s media adviser, also provoked uproar with a post. He tweeted a photo of a bulldozer tearing down a structure, along with the caption: “Unruly elements remember, every Friday is followed by a Saturday.”
Two of the homes that were demolished belonged to persons suspected of hurling stones after Friday prayers.
The third was that of Javed Ahmed, a politician accused of orchestrating the protests. Afreen Fatima, his daughter, is a well-known Muslim rights activist who took part in rallies against a contentious citizenship bill.
The demolition of Mr. Ahmed’s residence was “totally illegal,” according to a former chief judge of the Allahabad high court, who spoke to The Indian Express newspaper.
“Even if you assume for a moment that the construction was illegal, which by the way is how crores of Indians live, it is impermissible that you demolish a house on a Sunday when the residents are in custody” , former Chief Justice Govind Mathur stated.
The Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA), which demolished Mr Ahmed’s residence, sent a notice to him in May, requesting him to appear before them, according to a PDA official. Ms Fatima, on the other hand, denies this, claiming that the family was only told when a notice was posted on their door on Saturday.
A number of attorneys also sent a letter to the high court, claiming that the demolition was illegal.
“No earlier notices of illegal construction were received by the accused or his wife,” their letter stated.
This isn’t the first time that Uttar Pradesh and other BJP-ruled states have been accused of targeting suspected rioters with demolitions in the aftermath of communal violence. The method’s legal approval has been questioned by experts.
“You are disproportionately punishing people of one community without following any due process. This is not just illegal, but it also sets a dangerous precedent,” Ashhar Warsi, a senior lawyer, had stated to the BBC in April.
In the meantime, the uproar over the former BJP leaders’ statements shows no signs of going down.
It was sparked by a statement made by Nupur Sharma, a former BJP spokeswoman, during a televised debate last month. Her comments went viral, resulting in intermittent demonstrations.
Naveen Jindal, the Delhi unit’s communications chief, had also written a goading tweet on the subject.
The incident received international attention as more than a dozen Islamic countries protested the statements, causing India a diplomatic nightmare.
Ms. Sharma was immediately suspended from the BJP, and Mr. Jindal was expelled. The Delhi Police have also provided Ms. Sharma and her family with security after she said she had been harassed and threatened.
Ms. Sharma, on the other hand, has garnered a lot of BJP support online. After the latest protests over her comments became violent, some of her party members tweeted in support.
A YouTuber from Indian-administered Kashmir was detained after he broadcast a video of himself executing an effigy of Ms. Sharma. During the demonstrations in Jharkhand, two persons died as a result of bullet wounds.
Image credits : Newstrack
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