‘Bulldozer justice’ completely unacceptable, must stop: Congress

PTI, Aug 24, 2024, 4:12 PM IST

The Congress on Saturday said “repeated targeting” of minorities in BJP-ruled states is deeply troubling and asserted that ‘bulldozer justice’ is completely unacceptable and must stop.

The opposition party’s assertion comes after the house of a man who allegedly indulged in violence in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district during a protest was demolished.

“The house of Shahzad Ali under Kotwali police station limits was demolished. We had registered a case against 150 people for the violence on Wednesday. We had named 46 people,” an official had said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said demolishing someone’s home and rendering their family homeless is both inhumane and unjust.

“The repeated targeting of minorities in BJP-ruled states is deeply troubling. Such actions have no place in a society governed by the Rule of Law,” he said in a post on X.

The Congress strongly condemns the BJP state governments for their blatant disregard of the Constitution, using bulldozing as a tactic to instil fear among citizens, Kharge said.

“Anarchy cannot replace natural justice – offences must be adjudicated in courts, not through state-sponsored coercion,” he said.

In a post in Hindi on X, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “If someone is accused of a crime, then only the court can decide his crime and punishment.

“But punishing the family of the accused as soon as the allegation is made, taking away the roof from their heads, not following the law, disobeying the court, and demolishing the house of the accused as soon as the allegation is made – this is not justice,” she said.

This is the height of barbarism and injustice. There should be a difference between the lawmakers, the law keepers and the lawbreakers, she stressed, adding that governments cannot behave like criminals.

Following the law, Constitution, democracy and humanity are the minimum conditions of governance in a civilised society, Priyanka Gandhi said.

“One who cannot fulfil ‘rajdharma’ can neither work for the welfare of the society nor the country. Bulldozer justice is completely unacceptable, it must stop,” she said.

The house of the man who allegedly indulged in violence during a protest against remarks by seer Ramgiri Maharaj was demolished on Thursday.

Ramgiri Maharaj had allegedly made objectionable remarks against Islam at Shah Panchale village in Sinnar taluka of Maharashtra’s Nashik district during a religious event some days ago.

Members of the Muslim community had organised a protest on Wednesday, but it descended into violence, leading to injuries to two policemen and damage to several vehicles.