The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file a detailed affidavit within three days on the plea of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind to ensure that no further demolitions are carried out without following due process of law.
Asking the government to file its response, the apex court bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana orally remarked that the demolitions can’t be a retaliatory measure.
In the plea, moved against the backdrop of the ongoing row over comments on the Prophet and subsequent demolition drives, the Jamiat Ulama sought directions to initiate action against those officials concerned responsible for the houses allegedly demolished in violation of the rule of law and the municipal laws enacted by the state.
The plea stated that the present situation is more alarming as the Supreme Court had already ordered a stay of demolitions that were being carried out as a punitive measure in northwest Delhi in similar circumstances. “It is a violation of the orders of the Supreme Court,” it read.
Incidents of violence and slogan-shouting were reported from Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj and Saharanpur on Friday (June 10) after prayers when people began protesting against former BJP spokespersons’ remarks on the Prophet.
On Sunday, bulldozers, now a symbol of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s crackdown on anti-social elements, reached the residence of Mohammad Javed, a.k.a. Javed Pump, who has been identified as the main conspirator behind the violence that erupted in the city on June 10.
The Prayagraj Development Authority had served notice to demolish the house that was allegedly built without getting the requisite permissions.