The Strait Times shouldn’t see the administrative action on unauthorised constructions or houses in secular versus communal angle, it needs to be objective and avoid pushing the Hindu-Muslim narrative as it has an impact on India’s peace and stability

Claim:

A new kind of “demolition politics” is taking hold in India. Dubbed “bulldozer politics,” authorities in at least three states ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party have been criticised for levelling houses in areas affected by small-scale communal rioting. The moves were seen as an immediate punitive measure.

Counterclaim:

Singaporean daily, The Strait Times is overtly tangential in write up on the issue of demolition of unauthorised constructions and shanties in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Instead of joining the chorus of so-called liberal media in attacking the Modi government and seeing the administrative action on illegal constructions in a secular versus communal angle, the daily should peer over past records.

According to a PIL filed in the Delhi High Court in November 2012, there were 3000 properties in the city on which unauthorized shops and houses exist. In 2015, the Aam Aadmi Party government-headed by Arvind Kejriwal stopped demolition carried out by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in East Delhi against slums and unauthorized constructions.

Given the seriousness of the illegal and unauthorised buildings/constructions in Delhi, the Supreme Court appointed a Monitoring Committee comprising Bhure Lal, K J Rao and S P Jhingon. This committee in its report, carried by several media on November 27, 2020, said, “Delhi is witnessing frantic activity of de-sealing of sealed properties having unauthorised construction, encroachment, misuse and such allied illegal activities by the local bodies. In fact, all work so far undertaken by the MC in pursuance to the orders of the Supreme Court till date is being undone. All these actions have naturally created an undesirable atmosphere of “free for all” and has eroded the confidence of the law-abiding citizens in complying with the rules and regulations with respect to all building activities.”

Over the decades, various master plans and blueprints have tried to address the problem of the national capital’s unauthorised colonies, encroachments and slum clusters. According to data from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, there were 1700 illegal colonies till 2019. Some of these illegal colonies are reportedly resided by Bangladeshi nationals who have illegally crossed into India through unfenced areas of the 4,096 km long India-Bangladesh border.

The Special Investigating Team of the Delhi Police formed to probe the violence that occurred during the anti-CAA protests in December 2019, found that 15 criminals of Bangladeshi nationality were involved in violence in Delhi’s Seemapuri. All these Bangladeshi nationals were found to be residing in JJ colonies located along Delhi’s borders. In fact, it has been found that JJ colonies have become a den of criminals, drug pedlars and smugglers. In January 2022, the Delhi Police’s anti-narcotics team was attacked by a mob when it went to arrest a wanted drugs supplier.

With regard to the April 16 Jahangirpuri violence in which several people, including security personnel were injured, the Delhi Police has arrested 23 people. Of the total arrested persons, eight have a previous criminal record, while stringent National Security Act has been slapped against five persons. They are said to be residents of C block of Jahangirpuri which houses illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Question is: How come violence will go unpunished? The Supreme Court has for the moment put a stay on levelling of illegal constructions and houses in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, but it doesn’t mean that administrative action on removal of slums or authorized houses in this area should be seen with different optics.

Claim:

The Strait Times said, “Bulldozer politics” soon spread to other states (in India) because of the BJP's landslide victory in the state election in UP.

Counterclaim:

The Singaporean daily appears to be blatantly judgmental in presenting a narrative which is outrightly misplaced. If bulldozers can help win a party election then opposition ruled states need to emulate it. Obviously, performance, good governance and fear of law helped the Adityanath Nath government in coming back to power again in Uttar Pradesh. He broke a 35-year jinx which never allowed a sitting Chief Minister to return for a second term. His persona as a tough leader with zero tolerance for crime and wrongdoing and an incorruptible man played a significant role in his win and not just bulldozer which became a symbol of tough state action against land mafia and criminals. The Singaporean daily apparently failed to give its readers a fair account of the administrative action against criminals. Instead of being swayed by some western media’s frenzy to tar the Modi government for its tough handling of domestic and external challenges, the daily should have given a balanced perspective of violence that rocked Indian states during Ram Navami.