MP CM says he “doesn’t like bulldozer culture”; no plans for UCC

Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav opposes "bulldozer culture" and delays Uniform Civil Code implementation, stressing each state's unique circumstances and law for all.

New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav said on Thursday that he was not in favour of “bulldozer culture” and that the policy needed more consideration, comments that come against the backdrop of a raging controversy over the demolition of a Muslim leader’s home in Chhattarpur district.

MP CM says he “doesn’t like bulldozer culture”; no plans for UCC

Yadav, who became the chief minister last year after replacing Shivraj Singh Chouhan, also suggsted that his government was in no hurry to implement the Uniform Civil Code, adding that every state had different circumstances.

“I don’t like bulldozer sanskriti (culture),’’ he said, “I believe that this is a part of our system that needs more consideration.”

His remarks come days after authorities in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhattarpur demolished local leader Shahzad Ali’s house on August 22, a day after a group of Muslims were charged with pelting stones at a police station over communal remarks made by a Hindu religious leader.

The Congress attacked the CM and alleged that the government was targeting Muslim homes. But Yadav denied the allegation.

“We always want to take everyone along. Law is for everyone,” he said.

:We never just took down the mikes of mosques but also of mandirs...an offender is an offender, we will work against all,’’ he said.

The CM further clarified that apart from the Chhatarpur case, the government also conducted other demolitions on the same day, including one against a Hindu-owned illegal home in Chhindwara.

“If someone grabs someone’s land and builds a palace there, then every department has to take action, whatever their faith,” he said, blaming former CM Kamal Nath for starting “bulldozer culture”.

Over the last few years, the bulldozer has become a symbol of a tough, decisive administration and has been used by Bharatiya Janata Party administrations, especially in Uttar Pradesh, against people accused of crime. But the Opposition and activists say that it harms human rights because it targets only minority communities, and due process of law.

Yadav also hinted that he was in no hurry to bring in UCC.

“Modiji has said that you decide when you have to opt for it. I am proud that he has given us this liberty and we will take it at the right time,’’ he said.

When asked whether this meant there were no immediate plans, Yadav said, “Every state has its unique set of circumstances.”

This is a departure from his predecessor Chouhan who in December 2022 had said that the time for UCC had come, announcing a panel to frame the legislation for the state.

The BJP government in Uttarakhand has already brought UCC, although the rules are yet to be implemented. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech made a strong pitch for UCC by saying that it was time for India to demand a “secular civil code”.