NEW DELHI: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday while welcoming the Supreme Court‘s ruling on “bulldozer justice” criticised the actions of state governments using bulldozers to demolish properties, particularly targeting marginalized groups.
Owaisi in a post on X said, “Hopefully the bulldozer judgement of the Supreme Court will prevent state governments from collectively punishing Muslims & other marginalised groups.”
“The bulldozer judgement of the Supreme Court is a welcome relief. The most important part of it is not in its eloquence, but the enforceable guidelines. Hopefully, they will prevent state governments from collectively punishing Muslims & other marginalised groups. We should remember that no less than @narendramodi has celebrated bulldozer raj, which SC today called ‘a lawless state of affairs,'” Owaisi added.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav also said that, “now their bulldozer will remain parked in the garage, now no one’s house will be demolished.”
Akhilesh addressing a public rally in Sismau said, “The Supreme Court has commented against the bulldozer which become the symbol of this (BJP) government. I thank the Supreme Court for this decision against the government… What can you expect from those who know how to demolish houses? At least today, their bulldozer will remain parked in the garage, now no one’s house will be demolished… What can be a bigger comment against the government than this? We have full faith in the court, one day our MLAs will be released and will come among us and will work like they used to do earlier.”
The Supreme Court, in its ruling on Wednesday, established strict guidelines to limit the practice of bulldozer justice, where public officials demolished properties without due process. The court emphasised that the executive cannot assume the role of a judge by declaring individuals guilty and demolishing their property without following legal procedures. The ruling also stated that officials who act in a “high-handed manner” would face consequences.
The court expressed concern over the impact on families, particularly women and children, whose homes were demolished without proper legal procedures. “It’s not a happy sight to see women, children on streets overnight,” the bench noted.
The ruling stipulates that a mandatory 15-day notice must be given to occupants of illegal structures before demolition. If the occupants do not contest the notice, the state can proceed with the demolition, but the entire process must be videographed for transparency.
Furthermore, the court declared that any property demolished without following the due process of law would entitle the affected family to compensation. The bench, led by Justices BR Gavai and KV Vishwanathan, reinforced that the rule of law ensures individuals’ properties are not taken away arbitrarily.
“The executive can’t declare a person guilty. If based only on allegation, it demolishes his house, it would strike at basic principle of Rule of Law,” the court said.
The ruling follows the court’s interim order on October 1, which prohibited demolitions without permission, although the order did not apply to unauthorized constructions on roads or footpaths.
The court further clarified that its directions on demolitions would apply equally to all religious groups, reinforcing India’s secular identity. It specifically addressed concerns that bulldozer actions disproportionately affected minority and marginalized communities.
#prevent #state #govts #punishing #Muslims #Owaisi #order #bulldozer #justice #India #News #Times #India
