Bulldozer and Baba: Action to continue
The Supreme Court, in its landmark judgement on “instant bulldozder justice”, has framed strict pan-India guidelines for demolition of properties. The guidelines say, no demolition of any alleged structure will be carried out without 15-day prior notice to the owner, both by registered post and pasting it on the outer walls of the property. The time period will tick from the date of receipt of notice by the owner. Notice shall delineate nature of unauthorised construction, specify violations, grounds of demolition and fix a date for personal hearing for the owner before a designated authority. The final order for demolition will not be implemented for 15 days to allow the aggrieved person to approach the courts.
Demolition must be videographed and the authorities will have to send a report to the civic authorities. Violations of guidelines will lead to initiation of contempt proceedings in addition to prosecution. Officers concerned will be asked to restore the demolished structure to its original state at their personal cost and they will also be liable to pay damages.
One must understand two major points relating to the judgement. One, the apex court has not imposed a “ban” on use of bulldozers for razing illegal properties. Only guidelines have been issued that must be followed strictly. Two, provision for giving 15-day prior notice was already there in the rule book. There was also provision to hear the accused and they had the right to appeal. What the apex court on Wednesday decided was to ensure that the bulldozers are not used in a hurry, and a transparent procedure must be followed.
The implications now will be that if any heinous crime takes place, bulldozers will not be used to raze the properties of the criminal immediately. Fifteen days’ time has been given. As far as bulldozer actions prior to the apex court verdict are concerned, I have some data. These data say, there were more than 2,000 bulldozer actions since 2017 in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra and Gujarat. But the biggest hue and cry was raised over demolitions done during UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s rule.
This was because Yogi’s administration had razed the ill-acquired properties of top gangster leaders and rioters like Mukhtar Ansari, Atiq Ahmed, Vikas Dubey, Vijay Mishra and others. Ill-gotten properties of mafia dons were razed and homes were built for the poor on those plots. The Supreme Court verdict has nothing to do with Yogi Adityanath’s government. UP government was not a party to the case which was before the Supreme Court. The apex court was hearing a petition filed by Jamiat Ulama-e- Hind against North Delhi Municipal Corporation and others. But when political leaders started reacting to the Supreme Court verdict, the UP government had to respond.
A spokesperson from UP government welcomed the verdict as a significant step forward and said, “this ruling will increase criminals’ fear of the aw, and it will make easier for the administration to keep a leash on mafia elements and organised professional criminals. The first requirement of good governance is rule of law. The rule of law applies to everyone.” The implication is quite clear. Yogi’s government is not going to tone down its drive against gangsters, rioters and criminal elements.
Yogi to Kharge : Why silence on killer Razakars?
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday, at his Akola, Maharashtra, rally, launched a direct attack on Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. He mentioned about how Razakars owing allegiance to the then Nizam of Hyderabad had burnt his ancestral village, Warwatti, in 1946, killing his mother and sister.
Yogi said, “Kharge Ji is unnecessarily getting angry with me. I respect his age. He should express his anger with the Nizam of Hyderabad, whose Razakars burnt his village, mercilessly killed Hindus and took the lives of his mother, sister, and family members. He should bring this truth before the nation and the world. Only then people will know the meaning of my slogan, ‘Bantogey Toh Katogey’. He is refraining from placing this truth before the nation due to vote bank compulsions. He is deceiving the nation. I am only a Yogi. I have learnt only one thing. Do whatever is good for your country. For me, there can be nothing greater than my country and Sanatan Dharma.”
Yogi was only quoting from history. Kharge, while addressing a Congress workers’ convention at Delhi’s Talkatora stadium on August 17 last year, had said, “It is my misfortune that I could not see my mom, my brother, sister and uncle, because our home was burnt during the riots that led to Hyderabad liberation. Only my father and I were alive. It was in 1946, as riots went on from 1946 till 1948. My father and I fled the village and we later settled in Gulbarga.”
Yogi was responding to Kharge’s criticism that he made at his Maharashtra and Jharkhand rallies. Kharge had said, “A true yogi cannot use language like ‘Bantogey Toh Katogey’. Such language is used by terrorists. Yogi is the head of a mutt, wears saffron robes, but believes in ‘Munh me ram, Bagal Mein Chhuri’ (a wolf in lamb’s clothing).”
One must understand why Yogi raised the Hyderabad Razakar’s atrocities while replying to Kharge’s charge. The Congress President has often disclosed how he and his father fled their village during the 1946 riots and their family members died at the hands of Razakars. But Kharge never mentioned the Razakars or Nizam in his speeches.
It was Yogi who grabbed this point and put a poser to Kharge. Yogi alleged that Kharge was avoiding mention of Nizam and Razakars because his Congress party was concerned about keeping its Muslim votes intact. One BJP leader remarked, how can you call it secularism, when Kharge lost his family to jihadi Razakars and yet he speaks about Hindus as terrorists.
Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot hit back saying, “BJP leaders are intimidating the public. They brought the “Ek Rahengey, Safe Rahengey” slogan later, to control the damage, but their original slogan was ‘Bantogey Toh Katogey’. This is a dangerous slogan. Is this not at attempt to intimidate people? This is a clear indication of the way they want to do politics in the name of religion during elections.”
Hindu sadhus have openly lent support to Yogi. Jagadguru Rambhadracharya said, “despite many sects, Hindus must remain united. Only then nobody can harm us. United we remain strong. Saffron is the colour of Bhagwan. It was this saffron flag which Shivaji used to unite Maharashtra. Bhagwadharis should remain in politics, not those who are suited-booted.” It was Mallikarjun Kharge who had questioned Yogi’s saffron robes.
Maharashtra, Jharkhand : Modi, Yogi Slogans Game Changers ?
Opposition parties in both Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections are foxed by two slogans given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath. They are unable to work out a proper response. It was Yogi who coined the slogan “Bantoge Toh Katogey” (Divided, You Will Be Finished). A few weeks later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Jharkhand and Maharashtra rallies, coined the slogan “Ek Hain, Toh Safe Hain” (United, We Are Safe).
Both these slogans have become main issues in the assembly elections in both these states. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP founder Sharad Pawar, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and other top Congress leaders are busy trying to chalk out a proper response. While some leaders are abusing Yogi in public, others are cursing the UP CM.
Let me cite some examples: Congress President Kharge said in his Nagpur and Jharkhand rallies “A true yogi cannot use language like ‘Bantogey Toh Katogey’. Such language is used by terrorists. Yogi is the head of a mutt, wears saffron robes, but believes in ‘Munh me ram, Bagal Mein Chhuri’ (a wolf in lamb’s clothing).”
BJP leaders promptly demanded apology from Kharge for making such remarks. Kalki Dham Peeth chief Acharya Pramod Krishnam, who spent most part of his life in Congress, said, “leaders who oppose saffron robes, are anti-Hindus, they cannot be patriots and the people will teach Congress a lesson this time.”
In Maharashtra, BJP published front-page ad displaying PM Modi’s “Ek Hain Toh Safe Hain” slogan, but Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut objected to the ad. He said, the ad shows people of all sections wearing headgears, but the caricature of a Muslim wearing ‘jaalidar topi’ was missing. Raut alleged, BJP has only a single cap, and that’s the RSS black cap.
Some Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders, however, hold a different view. They feel that since BJP is trying mobilize Hindu votes, it will definitely have a backlash and may result in polarization of Muslim voters, which will surely help the anti-Modi bloc. Already Muslim leaders are active.
On Monday in Jaipur, qazis, moulvis and other Muslim leaders, including a Congress MP, gathered at a convention to demand the withdrawal of Waqf Amendment Bill, which is presently before a Joint Parliamentary Committee. The convention was named Tahaffuz-e-Auqaf, meaning ‘protection of Waqf properties’. The convention gave a ‘Chalo Delhi’ call on November 24 to all Muslim organisations.