'Is BJP Silently Punishing Muslims?' Delhi Minorities Bewildered by Demolition Drive in City

As many as 45 structures, 20 vending carts, and a wall and gate of a mosque were demolished by North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMCD) on Wednesday morning in the city's Jahangirpuri area in barely two hours.

Forty five -year-old Malika Bibi, a Muslim widow whose vegetable cart was destroyed by the authorities, asked: "What will I do now. How will I pay rent? How will I survive?"

Since early morning, hundreds of policemen were deployed in the C and D blocks of Jahangirpuri and nine bulldozers were brought in to carry out the removal of illegally constructed facilities.

Hardly 200 meters away from the mosque is the local Kali Mandir, a Hindu temple where the demolition drive was halted. It's the only structure on that row that had been left untouched.

As most of the structures destroyed on Wednesday's drive belong to the Muslim community, it sparked a fierce political war of words and levelling of allegations that the municipal administration was targeting minorities and bypassing laws.

Most of the residents in these areas make a living as ragpickers, scrap dealers, hawkers selling food items, and street vendors who sell vegetables, phone accessories, chips and cold drinks, among other things.

As the authorities arrived in morning, many Muslim residents of the housing enclaves located behind the mosque kept watching them through tall iron gates that were locked in the morning.

Days after the 16 April violence, a semblance of normalcy had returned to the lanes. But the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDMCD raked over the matter as they sought the requisition of 400 policemen for "an encroachment removal programme" for 20 and 21 April.

A group of lawyers filed an urgent plea to the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday morning for a stay on the anti-encroachment drive. At 11 a.m. that day the court ruled that status quo should be maintained until 5 May for the next hearings on the matter.

But the bulldozers continued demolishing the stairs and verandas of a few more shops and houses on the road till around 11:30 am before they stopped, saying that they had now received the court stay order of halting the drive.

One of the premises razed by the civic agency was a hotel located next to the mosque, owned by 38- year-old Mohammad Afsar. He claimed to have resided in the area for decades.

"They (civic authorities) could have easily stopped the demolition, especially after court's order...Had they waited for 10 minutes, our hotel would have been saved," he stated.

"What was the hurry? They should have at least given us a day or two of warning," Afsar said.

Many people confirmed to Sputnik that no notice had been served to individuals before the demolition drive. The NDMC said that its rule book allows them to remove all illegal structures constructed on the pavement and road.

Amit Dwivedi, a Delhi High Court advocate, said, "Most of the time, it is compulsory for MCD to give at least 30 days beforehand notice. However, there is an exception when MCD can remove the encroachment but then it has to explain the situation's urgency."

But the civic authority has not yet explained the urgency for carrying out the demolition drive, Dwivedi said.

Many of the residents were also outraged about the demolition of the mosque's gate.

"If there is any illegal construction, raze it. But the law should be equal for everyone. If the mosque is in the wrong place, the temple is also in the wrong place," said Shehnaz Begum, a Muslim resident.

"Are you (BJP) trying to stop us from following our religious practice?" Begum asked.

Meanwhile, Sputnik also talked with Ganesh Kumar Gupta, a Hindu whose fruit juice shop was also razed.

"My shop was registered with housing body since 1977. Since the morning, I have been running after police and other officials with my documents. My shop was razed at 11.30 am. I apprised them about the Supreme Court order. But they did not listen to me. I will go to the court," Gupta said.

Mohammad Rahman, one of the residents who felt the situation in the area had been tense since last Saturday, questioned the motive of the BJP.

"Today, hundreds of people lost their livelihood. Most of them are Muslims. If you (BJP) want to punish people for violence erupted during Hanuman Jayanti procession, find the culprit and punish them. Why are you silently punishing the whole community?" Rahman stated.

Meanwhile, many local residents said that the situation has been tense in the area since 16 April — the day when members of right-wing Hindu organisations organised a religious procession to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman.

"Generally, every year the procession passes through this area once or hardly ever twice. But that day it crossed three times — from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. — and provocative slogans were made against our community," stated Mosque manager Mohammed Salahuddin.

However, Hindus have accused Muslims of being the first to throw stones and sharp objects from rooftops during the religious procession.

The Delhi Police have so far arrested 23 people, including two minors, while its crime branch is still investigating what triggered the violence in the area that day.

Meanwhile, the following day of the violence, 13 opposition parties issued a joint statement expressing shock at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence over the violence.