Tag: UP bulldozer

Use of Bulldozers Is a Good Thing, Will Continue: UP Minister and Former Modi Aide A.K. Sharma

Sharma’s defiant stand came a day after Yogi Adityanath left no stones unturned to gloat over his government’s use of bulldozers to demolish the property of accused persons.

New Delhi: Days after the Supreme Court proposed issuing pan-India guidelines for the demolition of property by governments, a senior minister in Uttar Pradesh who is a former trusted bureaucrat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Thursday (September 5) that the use of bulldozers would continue in the state.

A.K Sharma, UP’s power minister, justified and defended the use of bulldozers by the state government, saying it was an instrument used by chief minister Yogi Adityanath to wipe out goondaism and “mafia raj” just like Modi was tackling corruption at the national level.

“The bulldozer is being used for that and it is a good thing,” Sharma told journalists in Siddharthnagar in eastern UP.

The bureaucrat-turned-politician from Mau also said that the government would not stop its use of bulldozers.

“The bulldozer is being used against those involved in criminal and mafia activities through a legal process. There is nothing wrong here. Their use will continue,” said Sharma.

The minister also said that the government was using the bulldozer against the “mafia and goondas” who flourished and grew during the rule of the Samajwadi Party (SP).

Sharma said that such elements had illegally grabbed land from poor and ordinary citizens as well as from the government.

His defiant stand came a day after Adityanath, speaking at an official event in Lucknow, left no stones unturned to gloat over his government’s use of bulldozers to demolish the property of accused persons.

“Not everyone’s hands can fit on a bulldozer,” said Adityanath.

“Iske liye dil aur dimaag dono chaiye. Bulldozer jaisi shramta aur drid pratigya jis mein ho, wohi bulldozer chala sakta hain [One needs both heart and mind for this. Only those who have the capability and determination of a bulldozer can use a bulldozer],” said the UP CM.

Adityanath, who was taking a swipe at SP chief Akhilesh Yadav for saying that if voted to power in 2027 he would redirect all bulldozers to Gorakhpur – the CM’s bastion – further said: “Those who rub their noses (surrender) before rioters will become dispirited by just the sight of a bulldozer.”

Ever since coming to power in 2017, Adityanath has authorised and promoted the unbridled use of bulldozers on the homes and commercial establishments of his political opponents as well as ordinary citizens.

On his radar have been several opposition leaders, including elected public representatives.

Soon after Adityanath’s comments on the use of bulldozers, Yadav responded to him with another jibe.

“If you and your bulldozer have been so successful, then form a new party and contest elections with the ‘bulldozer’ as the election symbol. Your misconception and arrogance will be shattered,” Yadav said.

He added: “Anyway, given your situation, even though you are in the BJP, you are as good as not there. You will have to form a new party, either today or tomorrow.”

This is not the first time that Yadav has threatened to use bulldozers against the BJP were he to return to power or criticised Adityanath for demolishing property through their use. Before the 2022 assembly election, Yadav promised that if voted to power he would manoeuvre the steering wheel of the bulldozer in a different direction.

Earlier this week, the apex court came down heavily against the use of bulldozers to demolish properties of those accused of crimes.

“How can anybody’s house be demolished only because he is an accused? Even if he is a convict, it can’t be done without following the procedure as prescribed by law,” Justice B.R. Gavai said.

UP: Houses, Shops Attacked After Clash Erupts During Durga Immersion Procession in Sultanpur

Members of the Muslim community claimed that a mosque was also vandalised, adding that the police investigation is biased.

New Delhi: A communal clash broke out on October 10 when a Durga idol immersion procession was passing from the front of a mosque in the Ibrahimpur region of Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur.

The people in the procession reportedly played loud music, danced with sticks and weapons in front of the Jamia Masjid as it proceeded for the immersion ceremony.

According to Dainik Bhaskar, the procession was halted there for about five hours. The residents had raised an objection about the loud music, which, after a verbal fight, turned into a ruckus.

They alleged that the participants of the procession vandalised the local mosque, and homes and shops in the area. Several people were also injured during the clash.

Speaking to The Wire, Aslam* (name changed), a resident, said, “On October 10, a procession moving towards an idol immersion ceremony reached outside our local mosque – the Jamia Masjid. It was around the time of the maghrib (evening) prayers.”

“Stones were pelted at the mosque and an attempt was made to vandalise it by setting it on fire,” he alleged.

He added, “Eight to 10 shops in the same area were also attacked. All this happened despite the fact that the area is only five kilometres away from the Baldirai police station.”

Meanwhile, addressing the procession, a police officer went onto the stage and said, “Durga Mata ki is dharmik yatra mein jis kisi betey ne dussahas kiya hai, main aap se wada karta hoon, unko mitti mein mila dunga, unke ghar bulldozer se girenge. (In this religious yatra of Durga Maa, those who have dared to cause trouble will be turned to dust, and their houses will be bulldozed.)”

He went on to say, “You are not weak, neither is the administration. The administration will take strict action against those who have disrupted the procession. Please finish the idol immersion first, after which no one will be spared.”

The police officer quoted above has been identified as the sub-inspector of Baldirai, Amarendra Bahadur.

A first information report (FIR) has been registered in the case at the Baldirai police station, Sultanpur, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including rioting, outraging religious feelings, attempt to murder and some sections of the Public Property Act, 1984.

A copy of the FIR accessed by The Wire.

The FIR, seen by The Wire, has been filed against 52 persons, including one unknown person and the rest Muslims.

According to the Indian Express, 32 persons have been arrested in connection with the case.

A copy of the FIR accessed by The Wire.

The FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint by one Rakesh Kumar Ojha.

Aslam alleged, “The investigation is completely one-sided. The FIR has been registered from the side of the Hindu community participating in the procession. However, people on this [Muslim] side are too scared to even file a complaint.”

The FIR, accessed by The Wire, states that the procession was stopped and Muslims mobilised with sticks and illegal arms and stones attacked those who had come to participate in the immersion ceremony, hurting their feelings.

The FIR also names the police officer quoted above as Amarendra Bahadur, who is seen in the video. He’s the officer in charge who had registered this complaint.

The Wire reached out to the Baldirai police station circle officer, Rajaram Chaudhary, who said, “We cannot divulge the details of the investigation as of now.”

When asked about the statement Bahadur made while addressing the procession, he said: “Simply by saying so, will any bulldozer action be taken? Leaders say this on stage, what kind of a question is this?”

The officer hung up after making this statement. He refused to acknowledge the statement of Bahadur, which was recorded on camera.

Residents claim vandalism, robbery

The residents alleged that their homes were attacked, and some of them claimed that the participants in the procession attacked them.

Raisa*, another resident, said, “When the stone pelting ensued, my daughter and I were in the house. We escaped to another village. When I came back after two hours, I saw my house gutted in a fire. I showed my house to the police officers. My jewellery was taken away. So was my cylinder.”

Another resident Saifa* said, “They barged into our house and took away everything. Our house was vandalised. We were attacked with a lathi. The police were with the Hindu community, who were a part of the procession. They hit us and ran away. My daughter was also hit.”

Meanwhile, the residents have submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate, Ravish Gupta, urging him to take cognisance of the situation. The residents claim that no action has been taken against the said police officer in the video.

Note: All names have been changed.