The administration’s bulldozer action
To settle the dispute that arose after stone pelting during Jhankhi in Jahazpur area of ​​Shahpur district of Rajasthan, the municipal administration had bulldozed the illegal construction for two consecutive days on Saturday and Sunday. This is the first time in Rajasthan that the administration has bulldozed an illegal construction at night. At Jahazpur on Saturday afternoon, when Thakur Ji’s overview was held on Jalzulani Ekadashi, the two parties came face to face.
According to the incident, when the procession passed in front of the Jama Masjid in Jahazpur town, the two sides came face to face and a tense situation ensued. Meanwhile, some people started pelting stones at the devotees who were looking down from the top of the mosque. Many devotees and police personnel were injured in the sudden stone pelting. After this all the devotees gathered at the place and Thakurji’s journey was halted there.
All the accused were arrested
On receiving the information, local MLA Gopichand Meena reached the spot and demanded the administration to immediately arrest all the culprits and stood firm on the demand for bulldozer action against the construction of the mosque as illegal. The administration took immediate action and detained 9 people and pasted notices outside the mosque. In the notice given by the municipality to the mosque committee, it was ordered to provide all the documents within 24 hours along with the lease of the mosque and construction approval. Gradually, all the Hindu organizations started gathering near Kalyan Ji’s temple under the leadership of local MLA Gopichand Meena and demanding that the mosque be demolished with bulldozers, calling it illegal.
Demand to run bulldozer on illegal construction
Then, around 11 pm, the municipal officials along with a bulldozer squad reached Shahpura Road in Jahazpur and demolished more than 60 shops on the road as illegal. After this late night action, people sitting on dharna at Kalyan Ji’s temple started pressurizing the administration and demanded bulldozers on the illegal construction of the mosque. The next day, Sunday, the administration talked to all the organizations and convinced them, and the strike was called off late in the evening. After which, at around 1 pm, the municipal officials again came with yellow paws and bulldozed more than six shops located on Mandalgarh Road as illegal.
What did Congress leader Khachariavasi say?
After two consecutive days of bulldozer action, the Congress began to encircle the BJP government. Congress leader Pratap Singh Khachariawas said that even after the Supreme Court’s comments, there is no sign of stopping the bulldozer operation in Rajasthan. The government is neither listening to the poor nor has it been able to control crime. The government is only getting false applause by bulldozing it as an illegal encroachment. Khacharia residents said that the bulldozer operation late at night for two consecutive days is completely wrong and I have never seen any government demolishing constructions by running bulldozers late at night. BJP knows nothing but converting Hindus into Muslims.
What did the senior advocate of the High Court say?
Rajasthan High Court Senior Advocate AK Jain said bulldozer justice is an insult to justice and judiciary as someone is punished for doing wrong and there is a provision to demolish his house. Jain said, Justice Khajuria has made it clear that officials who allow illegal construction and encroachment are more culpable than those who have encroached or made illegal construction, but till date have not done so instead of taking action against such officials. Officers bulldozing the house of accused involved in crime for some other purpose and rendering them homeless by bulldozing houses where families live is itself a travesty of justice.
‘Bulldozer justice is totally wrong’
He further said that the Supreme Court has also clearly said a few days ago that bulldozer justice is absolutely wrong. Bulldozing on the house of an offender cannot be prosecuted merely because he is involved in the crime without following any legal process. We have seen in Udaipur that the tenant committed a crime and the landlord’s house was bulldozed. Even during the previous government action was taken against houses of paper mafia and rented houses of people associated with them in Jaipur, which itself is a serious matter.