BJP govt in Maharashtra 'bulldozes' Muslim family's home, livelihood

Mumbai: Violating the Supreme Court order, the ‘bulldozer raj’ has taken place in Malvan in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. The Malvan Municipal Corporation razed down the house and agri-shop of a Muslim family who migrated from Uttar Pradesh a decade and a half ago and were demolished using bulldozers.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activist Sachin Varadkar had filed a complaint against the 15-year-old son of an agri-shop owner, alleging that the boy had raised ‘anti-national slogans’ during the India-Pakistan cricket match on Sunday. The police, acting on the complaint, had arrested the 15-year-old, his father and mother, but a court later granted bail to all three. It was immediately afterwards the corporation bulldozed their shop and house, claiming that they were illegal. Locals suggest that Narayan Rane's son, Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane, is behind this.

Nitesh, a BJP leader and the one who shared the footage of the shop and house being bulldozed on social media, also threatened to wipe out “anti-nationals”. When Ranes alleges that the Muslims are immigrants from neighbouring countries, locals say that the government systems are working according to the wishes of the Ranes.

The shopkeeper and his family, who lost their house and livelihood, said that they migrated to Malvan from Sekhui in Uttar Pradesh 15 years ago. Before filing a complaint, VHP activists and other Hindutva organization activists had beaten up the 15-year-old and his family.

Also, Malvan Police Superintendent Saurabh Agarwal says that apart from Sachin Varadkar's complaint, there is no other evidence that the 15-year-old shouted anti-national slogans.