Adityanath touts bulldozer, used to raze Muslim homes, as UP brand
text_fields
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday promoted the bulldozer as a brand of the state. The same bulldozers are associated with the demolition of homes belonging to Muslims and other marginalised communities under his government. He also called for the machinery to be manufactured in Uttar Pradesh and marketed across India and abroad, turning a widely criticised demolition practice into a matter of regional pride, according to Maktoob Media.
Speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony of a tractor manufacturing plant in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority area, Adityanath urged the company to include bulldozers in its production plans. He argued that the machines had already gained considerable recognition in the region and would find buyers in domestic and international markets.
He claimed that there would be high demand for bulldozers, both domestically and internationally, “as they have already become a brand of this region”.
The remarks come amid sustained criticism of demolition drives in Uttar Pradesh, where properties belonging to Muslims and other vulnerable groups have been razed in actions involving people accused of crimes or associated with dissent. Opposition parties and human rights groups have condemned these demolitions as arbitrary and discriminatory. Meanwhile, BJP supporters have celebrated Adityanath with the nickname 'Bulldozer Baba'.
The controversy centres on the use of demolitions as punishment, despite the absence of any legal provision allowing authorities to destroy the property of people merely accused of offences. In November 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that such punitive demolitions were illegal and insisted that due process be followed before allegedly unauthorised structures could be removed.
Despite the court's intervention and continuing criticism, Adityanath's latest remarks present the bulldozer as an exportable symbol of Uttar Pradesh, bringing renewed attention to the demolition campaigns that have defined a contentious aspect of his administration.