NEW DELHI: India’s Supreme Court has halted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government’s so-called “bulldozer justice,” operation which has led to the demolition of Muslim homes, businesses, and madrassas in the South Asian country.
The apex court, which is currently reviewing several petitions challenging this practice, has ordered a suspension of property demolitions as a punitive measure against individuals accused of criminal activities until the next hearing scheduled for October.
Haryana and Punjab high courts had earlier declared the demolitions of homes and businesses of mainly Muslim residents as “an exercise of ethnic cleansing”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing government has been using bulldozers to demolish properties owned by those facing legal charges, arguing that these actions target illegal constructions and serve as a strong response to criminal behavior.
During a recent hearing, the court criticized this tactic as undermining the rule of law, stating that “alleged involvement in crime is no ground for the demolition of property.”
Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, one of the judges on the case, emphasized that demolitions cannot proceed without following proper legal procedures, regardless of the individual’s criminal status.
Rights organizations have denounced this approach as unlawful collective punishment, with concerns that it disproportionately affects India’s minority Muslim community.
The demolition campaign began in Uttar Pradesh in 2017 under the administration of Yogi Adityanath, a prominent Hindu monk and a key figure in the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This practice has since expanded to other BJP-controlled states.
Officials defend the demolitions as legal, claiming they target only buildings constructed without proper approvals. However, affected individuals argue that their properties are not illegal and that they are not given adequate notice or opportunity to contest the demolition orders.
Amnesty International has criticized the demolitions as part of a targeted and “vicious” crackdown on Indian Muslims who oppose the government.
