The Madhya Pradesh government has no right to demolish a person’s home without conducting a proper investigation, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said, The Indian Express reported.
His remarks came after the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government demolished homes and shops belonging to Muslims who were allegedly involved in violence during Ram Navami processions on April 10. As many as 16 homes and 29 shops were mowed down on April 11, with more demolitions being carried out the next day.
“Who has given you this right?” Gehlot questioned on Thursday, according to The Indian Express. “Even the chief minister and prime minister don’t have this right to demolish somebody’s house without any investigation, without finding someone guilty. Imagine what the innocent people are going through.”
Communal violence had also erupted in a Muslim-dominated area of Rajasthan’s Karauli city after a motorcycle rally passed through it, allegedly playing communally-charged songs, to celebrate the Hindu New Year. In response, Muslims had allegedly thrown stones at the rally.
Gehlot questioned whether it would be appropriate for his government to run bulldozers over the homes of the accused persons, who have now been arrested for their involvement in the violence. He said that everyone is suffering because of the lawlessness in Madhya Pradesh, The Indian Express reported.
“This right [to demolish houses] is only with the law and it should do its work,” Gehlot said, according to The Indian Express. “Everyone will have to suffer one day if there is no rule of law. People are making a mockery of the law, along with that of the Constitution.”
Lawyers have also told Scroll.in that there is no basis in Indian law for the authorities to demolish buildings of people accused of participating in riots. While the state has the power to demolish buildings, there are various steps to be followed before a demolition, such as sending a notice, giving the accused a chance for a fair hearing and getting an order from a competent body.
Gehlot criticised BJP MP Tejasvi Surya for attempting to visit Karauli, saying that his party members “work to ignite the fire”, PTI reported.
“For what purpose should Tejasvi Surya come here?” the chief minister asked. “Whatever happened in Karauli was a very unfortunate incident and we all have condemned it.”
Surya and other BJP leaders were stopped from visiting the violence-hit area on Wednesday as gatherings of more than five people have been banned in the city since April 2.
On Thursday, Gehlot told reporters there were riots in many other states. “Who raised the slogans and who instigated the riots are not known,” he said, according to PTI. “The police made a list and went with bulldozers and started demolishing the houses. The poor people were crying when their houses were demolished.”
Gehlot said that after the violence in Karauli, a high-level meeting was held with police officers to ensure no such incident is repeated.
The chief minister asserted that the Constitution and the law must be protected, irrespective of which party is in power.
“What can be a greater sin than this that they [BJP] take oath and work against the Constitution,” Gehlot said, PTI reported. “These people are shredding the law and the Constitution and the democracy is in danger.”
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