A political controversy has erupted in Gujarat’s Surat after nearly 100 houses in a Muslim-majority slum settlement were demolished, while local authorities, police and political leaders denied authorising the action, raising questions about who ordered the demolition.
The demolition took place in Nasirnagar, a settlement in Surat’s Katargam area, between May 30 and June 1. Residents alleged that bulldozers razed homes without prior notice, leaving dozens of families displaced.
Surat Civic Body Denies Ordering Demolition
The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has denied carrying out the demolition and said an inquiry has been launched to identify who authorised the operation.
Municipal Commissioner M Nagarajan said the civic body had no role in the demolition and that some municipal officials were present only for land demarcation work.
“The municipal team had gone there only for legal line drawing and road margin measurements,” BJP MLA Vinu Mordia said after seeking clarification from officials.
“No demolition order was issued, no official action was sanctioned and there is no record of such a drive in municipal files,” he added.
Mordia said he also spoke to the municipal commissioner, who confirmed that no demolition order had been issued by the civic body.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full storyhere.
