India's Bulldozer Justice: Muslim Activists' Homes Demolished Amid Religious Tensions

The Spark That Ignited Religious Tensions

The crisis began when a BJP spokesperson made derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad, triggering widespread protests across India and condemnation from Arab nations. The ruling party was forced to dismiss the spokesperson and issue apologies, but the damage was already done. Muslim communities across India took to the streets in protest, with demonstrations turning violent in several states including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Jharkhand. The incident exposed the deep religious fault lines in Indian society and provided a pretext for subsequent government actions against Muslim activists. What started as a diplomatic embarrassment for India's ruling party quickly escalated into a systematic crackdown on Muslim protesters, with authorities using the unrest as justification for harsh retaliatory measures. The international backlash from Arab countries added pressure on the Modi government, but domestically, the incident became a rallying point for Hindu nationalist groups who viewed the Muslim protests as anti-national activities deserving punishment.

Prayagraj: From Mughal Legacy to Hindu Nationalism

The renaming of Allahabad to Prayagraj in 2018 symbolized the BJP's broader Hindu nationalist agenda under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The historic city, originally named during the Mughal Empire, was rechristened with its Sanskrit name as part of what BJP leaders called correcting Akbar's mistake. This transformation reflected the systematic erasure of Muslim heritage from Indian public spaces, with Adityanath's government pursuing an aggressive Hindutva agenda in the state with a population of 240 million. The renaming was not merely symbolic but represented a fundamental shift in how the state viewed its Muslim minority. Under Adityanath, a hardline Hindu priest turned politician, Uttar Pradesh became a laboratory for Hindu nationalist policies. The state government's actions consistently targeted Muslim communities, from anti-conversion laws to the demolition of allegedly illegal structures. The Prayagraj renaming served as a precursor to more aggressive measures, signaling to both supporters and critics that the government was committed to reshaping India's secular identity into a Hindu rashtra (nation).

The Bulldozer Politics of Uttar Pradesh

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath earned the moniker Bulldozer Baba for his administration's aggressive use of demolitions as a form of extrajudicial punishment. The practice of using bulldozers to demolish properties of accused individuals, particularly Muslims, became a hallmark of his governance style. Following the protests over the Prophet Muhammad remarks, the UP government identified approximately 40 protest leaders and systematically demolished their homes under the pretext of illegal construction. This bulldozer justice represented a new form of collective punishment that bypassed due process and constitutional protections. The demolitions were not random acts but carefully orchestrated operations designed to send a message to the Muslim community about the consequences of dissent. Amnesty International documented how Muslim-concentrated localities were specifically targeted while nearby Hindu-owned properties remained untouched. The practice gained such notoriety that Indian media began referring to it as bulldozer justice, with some outlets even praising it as an effective model of governance, despite its clear violation of legal procedures and human rights.

Javed Mohammad and Afreen Fatima's Ordeal

The case of Javed Mohammad, a 57-year-old activist with the Welfare Party of India, exemplifies the arbitrary nature of the crackdown. Police arrived at his home without a warrant and detained him along with his wife Parveen Fatima (52) and daughter Sumaiya. His daughter Afreen Fatima later told Al Jazeera that her father was taken into custody without proper legal procedures, with authorities refusing to disclose his whereabouts. The family had been paying property taxes for over 20 years, dating back to her grandparents' generation, making the illegal construction claims demonstrably false. The demolition notice was posted at night on a property registered in her mother's name but bearing her father's name, and the house was demolished the very next morning. This rushed timeline exposed the premeditated nature of the action and the fabricated legal justifications. Afreen Fatima's testimony revealed the systematic nature of the harassment, with police returning multiple times to detain family members, including her diabetic mother who was held for over 30 hours without proper medical care.

Legal Challenges and Supreme Court Intervention

The affected families have not remained silent in the face of these injustices. Javed Mohammad's family filed a lawsuit in local courts seeking 100 million rupees (approximately 1.6 billion Korean won) in damages for the illegal demolition. Their case is part of a broader pattern of legal challenges to the bulldozer politics practiced by various BJP-ruled states. The Supreme Court of India has repeatedly criticized these demolitions, with a landmark ruling in April 2025 calling the Prayagraj demolitions inhuman and illegal. The court ordered the Prayagraj Development Authority to pay 1 million rupees compensation to each affected homeowner, acknowledging the violation of constitutional rights to shelter and due process. Justice Ujjal Bhuyan noted that a video showing a small girl running away with her books as bulldozers demolished her home had shocked everybody. The Supreme Court's intervention highlighted the systematic nature of these violations and the need for accountability, though implementation of such orders remains challenging given the political climate.

The Broader Pattern of Anti-Muslim Discrimination

The Prayagraj demolitions are part of a wider campaign of discrimination against India's Muslim minority under the Modi government. Similar bulldozer actions have been documented across multiple BJP-ruled states, with over 7,000 Muslim homes demolished in Gujarat alone. The pattern extends beyond demolitions to include mass arrests, with thousands of Muslims detained following various incidents. The 2025 Waqf Amendment Act further exemplifies this systematic targeting, with the government seeking to place Muslim religious properties under state control. Protests against the Waqf Act erupted across India in April 2025, with demonstrations in Mumbai, Kolkata, Patna, and other major cities. The legislation represents another front in what critics describe as the BJP's campaign to marginalize Muslim communities and erase their institutional autonomy. International human rights organizations have documented this pattern of discrimination, with Amnesty International calling for immediate protection of Muslim rights before, during, and after elections.

International Scrutiny and Community Response

The systematic targeting of Muslims in India has drawn international attention and condemnation. Al Jazeera's coverage of cases like Afreen Fatima's has brought global scrutiny to India's bulldozer politics, exposing the arbitrary nature of these actions to international audiences. The demolitions have created a climate of fear within Muslim communities, with many families living in constant anxiety about potential government retaliation for any form of dissent. Community leaders report that the psychological impact extends far beyond the immediate victims, creating a chilling effect on Muslim political participation and civil society engagement. The loss of homes and businesses has created long-term economic hardship for affected families, with many struggling to rebuild their lives after losing everything. Despite the financial and emotional toll, victims continue to pursue legal remedies, though the slow pace of justice and continued impunity for perpetrators has eroded faith in institutional protections. The international community's response has been mixed, with some countries expressing concern while others maintain diplomatic silence to preserve trade relationships with India.