In an interview with PTI, P. Chidambaram hit out at the demolition of encroachments in Jahangirpuri and Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone, saying the BJP leaders’ justification for the bulldozer-able demolition “flies against the law”.
In an interview with PTI, P. Chidambaram hit out at the demolition of encroachments in Jahangirpuri and Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone, saying the BJP leaders’ justification for the bulldozer-able demolition “flies against the law”.
The recent bulldozer-enabled demolition shows a “complete breakdown of law and order” and it is reasonable to assume that this “novel” method of removing encroachments is aimed at the Muslim community and the poor, said senior Congress leader and former home minister. P. Chidambaram said on Sunday.
In an interview with PTI, P. Chidambaram hit out at the earlier demolitions in Jahangirpuri and Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone, saying the BJP leaders’ justification for the bulldozer-capable demolition “flies before the law”.
On criticism from some sections that the Congress delegation was delaying a day’s visit to the Jahangirpuri demolition site, in which opposition leaders like Brinda Karat and Asaduddin Owaisi arrived earlier, the former Union minister said, “I don’t know who visited when. . I know that soon after the demolition was done, a Congress delegation visited the area. If there was any unexplained delay, I am sorry.”
“Why do you bring religion into this issue when my concern is a gross and gross violation of the established legal process,” he said. Asked whether the Congress should pursue secularism more aggressively despite allegations of soft Hindutva against the party, P Chidambaram said secularism is part of the basic structure of the Constitution and is a core core value of the Congress. .
“It is not enough to remain secular. One should speak the language of secularism and protest when secularism is violated. I cannot accept any departure from secularism,” said P Chidambaram. He said straightaway. There is nothing to be gained by wandering.
On becoming “bulldozer politics” in political terminology in light of the events at Jahangirpuri in Delhi and Khargone in Madhya Pradesh, p. Chidambaram said the BJP leaders’ justification for the bulldozer-enabled demolition “flies before the law”.
Every Municipality or Panchayat Act provides for collection of information on encroachment/illegal constructions, issue of notice to the person concerned for removal of encroachment, giving opportunity to lodge objection, passing reasoned orders, appeals and, if the appeal is dismissed. Issuing another notice before the demolition squad is deployed, he said.
“Was any of these steps followed in any of the recent demolitions? So there is no law, no order and it is a complete breakdown of law and order. The one whose house or shop was demolished is not material. On comments from sections that Muslims are being targeted through such actions, he said that based on information in the public domain, it appears that most of the houses and shops that were vandalized were Muslims and poor people. were of
“If this assumption is wrong, then the authorities concerned should publish the correct data. So long as this notion persists – and is not refuted – it is reasonable to assume that this ‘novel’ method of removing encroachments/illegal constructions is aimed at the Muslim community and the poor,” P. Chidambaram said. He pointed out that although there are entire colonies in which the wealthy live where many houses are illegally constructed, the senior Congress leader said those who justify bulldozer-able demolition without following the law, are digging a hole in which they May fall in the future. “I am not raising the question of secularism, I am just asking ‘does the law allow such demolition?’ If the answer is no, that is enough to condemn the demolition. If you ignore the law, you do so at your own risk,” he said.
When asked about the Aam Aadmi Party bringing in Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in the Jahangirpuri demolition speech, P. Chidambaram said AAP is becoming “courageous” like the BJP. “I am concerned at the tendency of political parties to see a burning issue as an opportunity to gain a political point that has nothing to do with the issue,” he said.
P Chidambaram insisted that the issues of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas had nothing to do with the bulldozer-able demolition. Several concrete and temporary structures near a mosque in Jahangirpuri were brought down by the BJP-ruled Northern MCD last week as part of an anti-encroachment drive, days after communal violence broke out in the North West Delhi neighborhood.
Supreme Court had to intervene twice to stop The campaign was launched after taking cognizance of a petition filed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind against the demolition. A delegation of Congress leaders visited violence-hit Jahangirpuri on Thursday, but police stopped them from going to the area where the northern MCD had launched an anti-encroachment operation a day earlier.
Earlier this month, the Madhya Pradesh government launched a campaign against “illegal” properties in Khargone that allegedly belonged to people involved in stone-pelting and other forms of violence during Ram Navami processions on April 10. Several Muslim religious leaders in the state have alleged that members of the community were being unfairly targeted by the authorities after the violence, and in some cases houses were demolished without due process.