Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, June 22: The recent bulldozer demolitions in Uttar Pradesh were lawful, and action against rioters is being taken under separate laws, the state government told Supreme Court today in response to a plea challenging the demolitions which it said they are targeting a particular community.
The state government has sought dismissal of the plea with the imposition of fines on the petitioner.
Demolitions are part of a routine effort against illegal constructions and notices for the same were issued long ago, the UP government said in the top court, adding that the petitioner is falsely linking the demolitions to the riots.
“Lawful action was taken by the local development authorities as per the procedure established by law,” it said.
Notably, the UP government was served with a notice on June 16 by the Supreme Court for a response to a petition submitted by the Islamic group Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind. The court had then stated that demolitions had to be legal and could not be used as a form of retaliation.
The state maintained that no impacted party was in front of the court and that even if one did, it should first approach the High Court. The UP administration mentioned the demolitions in Kanpur and said that two builders in Kanpur had acknowledged the buildings were unlawful and that processes under the Urban Planning Act had begun long before the riots. The appeal was submitted by the Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind in relation to the recent demolitions of buildings in Kanpur and Prayagraj that the state administration had ruled to be illegal.
