Bulldozer used in I-Day parade in New Jersey disappoints locals; call it "symbol of hate"

New Jersey: Media sources claim that on August 14, a bulldozer bearing pictures of Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the India Independence Day parade in Edison, New Jersey. Due to recent events in India, the bulldozer—a representation of the destruction of Muslim homes in India—was subject to an investigation by community members and religious leaders for its use in the march.

Many locals expressed their disappointment at the bulldozer being there at the parade. They called it a representation of a "brazen display of hate."

The bulldozer was adorned with pictures of Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and Modi, the prime minister, as well as a sign that read in Hindi, "Baba ka bulldozer." Yogi Adityanath is frequently referred to as Baba.

The Independence Day procession was not sanctioned by the township, the mayor Samip Joshi said in a statement on Monday, adding that the bulldozer was "a symbol of division and discrimination."

Joshi stated that his office was dedicated to honouring and cooperating with people from all cultures. "My office will be working with stakeholders to ensure that celebrations in the future serve the best interest of our community," his statement added.

"The concern we have here as citizens is that they're trying to bring this ideology of hate in Edison", resident Nausher Ahmed said.

As a resident of Edison, Bishop Nikolaos Brown of Ignite Church stated that he never anticipated such a thing to take place in the township.

During Monday's Township Council work session, Azra Baig, the chair of South Brunswick's human relations commission, was cited by mycentraljersey as saying, "This bulldozer was included in a parade that was supposed to celebrate the national pride of this country."

"As someone who is Muslim, I find this terrorizing and harassing, and so does the Muslim community across New Jersey, across the country and the world", she said.

Magot Harris, a councilwoman, claimed she was not familiar with the bulldozer's meaning. She claimed that since the Indian Business Association was in charge of organising the procession, they ought to be held accountable. Councilman Nishith Patel said he was "deeply disturbed by the symbolism" of the bulldozer in the parade, the NIE reported.

"The bulldozer represented intolerance of culture, and division, it represented hatred, and I firmly condemned the use of this image in this march. The only thing we should be intolerant of is intolerance itself", Patel said.

In recent months, BJP-run civic organisations and state governments in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh have carried out a number of demolition efforts pretending to get rid of encroachments. The majority of demolitions target Muslim-owned homes and businesses.

Although there are no provisions in Indian law that permit anyone in authority to destroy homes, this pattern has been frequently seen in a number of Indian states.