The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday handed down orders to put a stop to the demolition exercise in violence-hit Nuh district of Haryana.
The decision was given after court of Justice G.S. Sandhawalia took suo moto congnisance of the demolition drive started by the authorities in Nuh after the communal clashes broke out in the area last week during a religious procession.
Immediately after the court’s order, Nuh Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata asked the officials concerned to halt the demolition drive and to freeze any illegal construction from coming up on encroached land.
The High Court also questioned the exercise of razing buildings without giving any notices to the affected parties.
The demolition carried out by the authorities was questioned by several politicians as they alleged that it was targeting the Muslim community. However, the authorities said that it was not targeting any individual, but rather illegal construction and encroachments are being removed.
“[The] demolition drive against illegal construction is underway and it will continue. Action is not being taken to target anyone. Our motive is to establish peace,” Khadgata said on Sunday when talking to the media.
Calling the exercise as “collective punishment” to Muslim, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) parliamentarian and prominent Muslim leader Asaduddin Owaisi in a tweet had said: “Confidence Building means buildings, homes, and medical shops, and shanties of one community (Muslims) should be demolished without following due process to give collective punishment. The Manohar Lal Khattar-led government has usurped the rights of Courts of Law.”
He was responding to Khadgata's statement, where he had said that “confidence-building measures are underway” and the motive is to establish peace.
While talking to the media on Sunday, Khadgata said that he along with Superintendent of Police (SP) met with members of both communities and appealed to them, assuring that no further incidents of this kind would occur in the future.
Nuh Violence
Violence broke out in Nuh on July 31 when a group tried to stop a religious procession organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The group pelted stones at the procession and set several vehicles ablaze.
Following the violence, a curfew was imposed in the district and Internet services were suspended in Nuh as well as some neighbouring districts.
Six people, including two home guards and a Muslim cleric have been killed in the violence, while several have been injured.
The police have recorded more than 100 first information reports (FIRs) and arrested over 216 people in connection with the violence. However, a probe is still in progress to find out the ringleader behind the violence.