Cong MP slams ‘bulldozer culture prevailing in parts of country’; says judiciary is there to punish offenders

PTI, May 22, 2022, 5:40 PM IST

Bhopal: In an attack on the BJP, Congress MP Vivek Tankha has said the ”bulldozer culture currently prevailing parts of the country” is undemocratic, and asked if action was being taken against alleged offenders by razing their properties, then what was the use of the judicial system. The Rajya Sabha member also alleged that issues like the Gyanvapi mosque were being raked up to divert people’s attention from the problems like the rising inflation and unemployment.

”I am totally against this bulldozer culture that is prevailing in various parts of the country to deal with the law offenders, which does not give them any opportunity (to defend themselves) as per the law of the land. It can’t be approved in a democratic country like ours. I totally disapprove of it as it is undemocratic,” Tankha said while interacting with reporters here on Saturday night.

He was replying to a question about the growing use of bulldozers to raze the properties of persons accused of being involved in various offences. Recently, the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh had demolished the houses of several persons accused of being involved in the violence that had broken out in Khargone city during a Ram Navami procession on April 10.

”The administration serves notices, then take a decision on it and demolishes the properties without giving any opportunity. What is the use of the judicial system in the country then?” he asked.

Even if it is an encroachment, it is not the right way to deal with it, he said and asked why the authorities allow encroachments to take place. ”By demolishing the house of a person, you are not just punishing the offender, but his innocent family as well,” he said.

Slamming the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in MP over the ”poor” law and order situation, Tankha also blamed it for the ”politicisation” of the police force, which he said was not good in democracy.

Asked about the Gyanvapi mosque controversy and whether Places of Worship Act of 1991 can be amended, the Congress MP said, ”All these issues are raked up to divert people’s attention from issues like rising inflation, unemployment and others. But as far as the amendment of the 1991 Act is concerned, Parliament is empowered to do so with majority as laws are framed by it only in the country.” On the issue of Supreme Court granting permission to conduct local bodies elections with OBC reservation in Madhya Pradesh, Tankha said there is nothing unusual in it as claimed by the BJP as 14 per cent reservation was already in place from the time when Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister, and the the apex court had also put a cap of 50 per cent on the total reservation.

”The BJP is unnecessarily trying to get political mileage out of it,” he alleged. Answering a question on the release of A G Perarivalan, a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, the senior lawyer opposed it saying the country lost a visionary leader because of their act. The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the release of Perarivalan, who remained in jail for over 30 years after being convicted in the assassination case. Replying to a query, Tankha advocated implementation of a law in the state to protect journalists so that they can put forward their viewpoint without fear in the interest of democracy.