As India bulldozes Muslim homes, fears grow officials are taking leaf from Yogi Adityanath
- After communal violence flared across the country last week, authorities in Madhya Pradesh bulldozed the homes of suspected Muslim rioters without evidence
- The move comes as Muslims become increasingly targeted in Modi’s India, with a trend of politicians seeking to outdo Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, known for his virulent Islamophobia
Activists and critics of India’s Hindu nationalist government have called for an independent investigation after dozens of Muslim homes were arbitrarily demolished following a spate of communal violence, furthering fears by minority groups that their rights are increasingly being whittled down by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The conflict erupted on April 10 after groups of Hindus marched through Muslim localities in central Madhya Pradesh state and blared anti-Muslim songs during a procession to mark the birth of the Hindu god Ram, leading to scuffles and stones being pelted. CCTV footage appeared to show some police officers participating in the clash, which led to the death of one person.
Riots played out elsewhere across the country following the Ram Navami festival, killing one person in the western state of Gujarat, and injuring many others, including eight police officers in the capital. Police arrested 14 people in Delhi on Sunday on charges of rioting and criminal conspiracy, among others.
While communal conflict is far from new in India, the local authorities’ decision to unilaterally bulldoze the homes of some 50 suspected Muslim rioters in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh has left the community on edge, with one commentator describing the unprecedented move as part of a bid by officials from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party to “dismantle” the constitution.
“We watched silently. There were so many officials and police officers that we were scared for our lives,” local shopkeeper Raees Tariq told reporters in Khargone district. “My neighbour’s home came down in half an hour. He wept.”
Police said they were justified in knocking down the homes without due process as the homes had been “illegally” built on government land even before the conflict broke out.
Aakar Patel, chair of Amnesty International India’s board, said the decision was a breach of international human rights law.