“Frontal Attack On Muslims”: Lawyers’ Group Condemns Demolition Of Muslim Houses In Khargone By Madhya Pradesh Police

The All India Lawyers’ Association (AILAJ) for Justice on Wednesday condemned the demolition of Muslim homes and businesses at Khargone in Madhya Pradesh by the police, calling it ‘illegal’ and ‘immoral’.

It also condemned the targeted and selected arrests of Muslims by the police, despite the presence of overwhelming evidence of many Hindu supremacists, especially high profile BJP leaders exhorting leading the violence.

Violence broke out in several states, including in Madhya Pradesh, during the Ram Navami procession on 10th April after marauding mobs of Hindu fanatics were out on the streets raising provocative slogans against Muslims, and vandalising mosques. It also led to stone-pelting and clashes that injured many.

The following day, the administration imposed Section 144 and arrested many Muslims and demolished their houses.

“The Madhya Pradesh police and government, rather than maintaining peace and communal harmony as dictated by their official designation, instead took over the baton from Hindu supremacists and proceeded to arrest several and only Muslim individuals and exclusively target and demolish Muslim homes and businesses,” AILAJ said in a statement.

Quoting the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Khargone, Tilak Singh, who admitted that the demolitions were those of the alleged stone pelters, AILAJ said that it is “clear that the destruction occurred not because they were illegal structures or against the law but as a retaliation against an entire community.”

The demolition of houses violates the law, the association said and added the law on demolitions and evictions, as laid out by different courts, clearly states that even if the encroachments are illegal, there is a procedure that needs to be followed before the demolition, including a service notice and chances of being heard.

 The association stated that the demolitions violated the core principle of Article 15 and Article 21, which guarantee every individual the right to be free from being discriminated against and the right to life, respectively.

“The motivations behind the demolition is nothing but a frontal attack on the Muslim community”, the association said in its letter.

Rather than curb the violence, the State, AILAJ stated has been at the forefront of it on this occasion, violating every tenet of the Constitution.

It also demanded the halt of all further demolitions and take strict action against those government authorities and police officials that led the illegal ruins across Khargone starting on April 115. “Valuate, the cost of the buildings, demolished and pay compensation to those whose properties were destroyed and take immediate steps to implement the “Guidelines on Communal Harmony holistically, 2008”, it added.