NEW DELHI – The silence in the narrow lanes of Baskhari Road in Jalalpur town of Ambedkar Nagar District in Uttar Pradesh was shattered again on Thursday as a bulldozer rolled in and tore down the home of 55-year-old Nabi Ahmed, a retired schoolteacher and respected figure in the local Muslim community. The three-storey house, built with years of hard work, savings, and dreams, was reduced to rubble in less than an hour.
This latest demolition comes amidst an ongoing series of bulldozer actions across Uttar Pradesh, where dozens of Muslim homes and businesses have been razed under the pretext of illegal encroachments. The demolition was carried out by the Public Works Department (PWD) following a High Court order, which declared the land as government property. But residents and activists say there is more to the story—one that reflects growing fear and discrimination faced by Muslims in the state.
“I spent my entire life building this house. Now I have nothing but the clothes in my bag,” said Nabi Ahmed, standing amidst broken bricks and twisted iron rods that once made up his family home. His voice trembled as he added, “If this is justice, then it has only one eye open. No Hindu homes have been touched here; only we are being targeted.”
The district administration, however, insists the action was lawful and taken in accordance with a high court order. According to officials, the land belonged to the PWD and had been illegally encroached upon.
“This building was constructed without legal approval on government land. We followed all procedures, including giving prior notice to Ahmed. When he failed to remove the structure, we acted as per the court’s directions,” said Santosh Kumar Singh, the Jalalpur Kotwal, who oversaw the demolition along with a team of PWD officials and local police.
Yet locals claim the demolition drive is being carried out selectively and with religious bias. “Everyone here knows there are more than 50 homes in this area that are built near or on government land, but only the homes of Muslims are being demolished,” said 32-year-old Faizan Ali, a local shopkeeper and family friend of Nabi Ahmed.
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.
