Opposition Ups Ante Against BJP After Demolition Drive in Riot-Hit Jahangirpuri in Delhi

On Wednesday, North Delhi's civic agency carried out a demolition drive in the Jahangirpuri area to clear illegal constructions. However, Muslims say their properties were disproportionately targeted.

Although Indian opposition parties continue to hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its recent anti-encroachment demolition drive in Delhi's Jahangirpuri area, the party has stressed that the action was undertaken according to the rule of law.

The Delhi government is led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) whereas the city's civic authorities - divided into three parts North, South, and East Delhi Municipal Corporations - are run by the city's main opposition, the BJP.

Wednesday's drive was carried out just four days after communal clashes in the area, when a Hindu religious procession crossed a mosque in a Muslim locality on Saturday.

The city is set to hold municipal corporation elections this year after a delay because of the BJP-led central government's move to reunify the 2012 trifurcated civic authority - the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Jahangirpuri has become the focus of political attention, with dozens of politicians visiting the area on Thursday and on Friday.

Ajay Maken, general-secretary of the country's main opposition party Congress, and other politicians visited the area on Thursday to meet those affected by the demolition drive. However, the Congress politicians were not allowed to meet the concerned families.

"The drive carried out by the BJP was completely illegal. Those who suffered injuries, loss of livelihood and property should be compensated," Congress Delhi state chief Anil Kumar told reporters.

Hitting out at the BJP, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday: "This is a demolition of India's constitutional values. This is a state-sponsored targeting of the poverty-stricken and minorities. The BJP must bulldoze the hatred from their hearts instead."

The anti-encroachment drive, which lasted for about three hours, led to the demolition of 45 shops, all in the same location - the Jahangirpuri C block. It is the same road where communal violence broke out during the Hanuman Jayanti festival last Saturday.

The leaders of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) party, Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) are also set to visit the area on Friday.

West Bengal's state chief and leader of the TMC, Mamata Banerjee, said, in a barbed remark aimed at the BJP: "We don't want to bulldoze; we don't divide people, we unite".

"A united family [referring to people of all religions] is a big family and is always successful," she said.

Brinda Karat, leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), on Wednesday opted to stand in front of a bulldozer, blocking it with a copy of a Supreme Court order directing the authorities to stop the demolition drive. Her party members are still present in the area.

On Thursday, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen party chief and parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi also visited the area. The prominent Muslim leader blamed the police for not handling the situation properly.

Many student organisations in Delhi and other parts of the country also protested against the "bulldozer demolition drive" in Delhi.

Delhi BJP Calls for Demolition Drives in Other Parts of City

Meanwhile, the BJP's Delhi unit chief Adesh Gupta said that civic bodies in the city's eastern and southern parts should also carry out demolition drives to "remove illegal encroachments by Bangladeshis and Rohingyas migrants".

After the demolitions in Jahangirpuri, Gupta said that the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, and the Communists have allied to protect the "Bangladeshis and Rohingyas".

On Thursday, the Supreme Court put a halt for two weeks on the demolition drive in Jahangirpuri.

The judges said they would take a "serious view of the demolitions" that continued despite court orders. They asked authorities to maintain the status quo and issued notice to all the petitioners in the case.

On 16 April, clashes broke out in the area during a religious procession organised by a group of Hindu members to mark the anniversary of the birth of Lord Hanuman. Hindus and Muslims blamed each other for instigating clashes that broke out. Nine people, including seven police, suffered injuries in the violence.