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‘Targeting of minorities deeply troubling’: Congress chief Kharge on bulldozer action in BJP-ruled states
Mallikarjun Kharge said that anarchy cannot replace natural justice and that offences should be adjudicated in courts, not through state-sponsored coercion.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of targeting minorities and using bulldozers to instil fear among citizens.
“Demolishing someone's home and rendering their family homeless is both inhumane and unjust. The repeated targeting of minorities in BJP-ruled states is deeply troubling. Such actions have no place in a society governed by the Rule of Law,” Kharge wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The Congress chief said that anarchy cannot replace natural justice and that offences should be adjudicated in courts, not through state-sponsored coercion.
“The Congress Party strongly condemns the BJP state governments for their blatant disregard of the Constitution, using bulldozing as a tactic to instill fear among citizens. Anarchy cannot replace natural justice—offences must be adjudicated in courts, not through state-sponsored coercion,” the Congress chief added.
Kharge's reaction followed the demolition of a bungalow owned by Congress leader Haji Shehzad Ali, the main accused in a stone-pelting incident targeting police officers earlier in the week in Bhopal.
The demolition was part of the administration’s response to those involved in the violent incident on August 21 when a mob allegedly threw stones at police officers inside the Kotwali police station compound.
What triggered the violence in Madhya Pradesh?
The violence was triggered after a mob allegedly surrounded the Kotwali police station, demanding action against seer Ramgiri Maharaj. Maharaj had allegedly made objectionable comments about Prophet Mohammad and Islam during a religious event in Shah Panchale village, Sinnar Taluka in Maharashtra’s Nasik district.
Earlier, Rajasthan chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma's government ordered the demolition of the accused student's home after he allegedly stabbed another student in Udaipur.
The stabbing incident happened on August 16 when an argument between the two minors escalated. Police said the boys had been at loggerheads for a few days as the accused asked for a homework copy, but the victim shared it with someone else.
However, when the two engaged in a heated argument, the accused stabbed the victim, leading to serious injury in his abdomen. The boy was undergoing treatment in the ICU of Udaipur’s MB Hospital and died on August 19 around 4.40pm when his health suddenly deteriorated.
The Udaipur district administration demolished the rented house of the accused's family after Hindu groups and BJP leaders reportedly called for Uttar Pradesh-style bulldozer action. The administration stated that the demolition was due to the house being illegally constructed on forest land.
