Bulldozer raj in BJP-ruled Rajasthan: Police drag tribal woman

Barmer: A demolition drive carried out under the Rajasthan government's "Operation Clean" has drawn criticism after homes, religious structures and educational institutions near the India-Pakistan border were razed despite resistance from residents.

The drive is being conducted to remove what authorities describe as illegal encroachments within a 15-km radius of the international border. Over the past week, several structures, including mosques and madrasas, have come under action in Barmer district, Siasat reported.

Videos circulating from the area show residents, including women and children, pleading with officials to halt demolitions. In one widely shared incident, a young Bhil tribal woman resisted the demolition of her semi-pucca house by remaining inside the structure as officials attempted to remove her. She was eventually dragged out by police personnel before the house was demolished.

The operation has also affected religious and educational institutions. According to local representatives, one of the mosques targeted during the drive was built around two years ago, while the adjoining madrasa had been functioning since 2009.

Those associated with the institution maintain that the land had been classified as residential when the madrasa was established and that local bodies had issued lease documents connected to the property. They also pointed out that financial assistance for the construction of the madrasa building had previously been sanctioned during the Congress government.

The demolitions have triggered political reactions, with former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot accusing the BJP government of selectively targeting mosques and madrasas in a region where communities have coexisted peacefully for years. He alleged that the action risks creating tension and polarisation rather than addressing genuine administrative concerns.

The demolition drive is continuing in the border district amid growing controversy.