The Congress party said on Saturday that the “repeated targeting” of minorities in BJP-ruled states is “deeply troubling”, asserting that “bulldozer justice” is completely unacceptable and must come to an end.
The opposition party’s statement comes in the wake of the demolition of the house belonging to a man accused of engaging in violence during a protest in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district.
“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 rebuked the demolition of a person’s home and the resulting homelessness of their family, calling such actions 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.
Kharge condemned BJP state governments for their blatant disregard of the Constitution and accused them of using demolition as a tactic to instill fear among citizens. “Anarchy cannot replace natural justice – offences must be adjudicated in courts, not through state-sponsored coercion,” he said.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also spoke out on X, asserting that only the court can determine guilt and impose punishment if someone is accused of a crime.
“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.
She described these actions as the height of barbarism and injustice, emphasizing that there should be a clear distinction between lawmakers, law enforcers, and lawbreakers.
“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 claimed.
The house of a man accused of involvement in violence during a protest against remarks made by seer Ramgiri Maharaj was demolished on Thursday. Ramgiri Maharaj had reportedly made controversial comments about Islam at a religious event in Shah Panchale village, Sinnar taluka, Nashik district, Maharashtra.
Following these remarks, members of the Muslim community organised a protest on Wednesday, which escalated into violence, injuring two policemen and damaging several vehicles.