BJP govt raizes Muslim properties in Madhya Pradesh
Ujjain: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has demolished over a dozen houses and shops of Muslims in Madhya Pradesh state.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the BJP government’s selective demolition drives in India, the Ujjain administration in Madhya Pradesh brought down at least 12 Muslim-owned houses and shops in Begum Bagh — a Muslim-majority area near the famous Mahakal Hindu Temple
Bulldozers rolling into the Muslim-majority Begambagh area is BJP’s agenda of targeting Muslims under the guise of development and Housing Project in India.
All the demolished properties belonged to Muslim community. Among the affected were families of Syed Niamat Ali, Roshni Bi, Mohammad Ayub, Abdul Khalid, Rais Mohammad, Sajid Khan, Aqeela Bi, Mohammad Nasir, Ejaz Ahmed, Aisa Bi, Uvesh Khan, Abdul Nasir, Abdul Shakir, Anisa Bi, and Fehmida Bi.
A resident, Mohammad Ayub, whose small shop was among those destroyed, said, “We were told to vacate, but no alternative arrangements were made. This has been our home for decades. We feel we are being punished for being Muslims.”
Another affected poor Muslim woman, Roshni Bi, said through tears, “The BJP authorities along with huge police personnel came early in the morning and gave us barely an hour to remove our belongings. Everything we owned is under the rubbles now.”
Residents told media men that the BJP administration’s claim of legal procedure was a cover for discrimination. “Why are only Muslim houses and properties being demolished around Mahakal Temple? There are several illegal constructions by Hindu community too. The bulldozers never reach them,” said a youth from Begambagh who did not wish to be named.
Muslim organisations have raised strong objections on such anti-Muslim actions by BJP government. A member of the local Muslim Action Committee said, “We respect religious events, but targeting Muslim neighbourhoods in the name of Simhastha is unacceptable. These homes stood here for generations. Development cannot come at the cost of people’s lives and faith.”
Human rights activists questioned the timing and manner of the demolitions. Arshad Ali, a local activist, said, “The BJP government speaks of legality, but justice demands fairness. Were all options exhausted before sending bulldozers? Or is this part of a larger pattern we’ve been seeing in several BJP-ruled states?”
The demolition follows similar actions in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, where bulldozers have often been used against Muslim-owned structures. Critics say these drives have become a political tool that disproportionately affects Muslim community in India.
Social media platforms were flooded with videos of the demolition, showing women crying beside the rubble of their homes. Several civil rights groups accused the state of weaponising administrative powers to intimidate minorities.
A professor from Ujjain’s Vikram University, requesting anonymity, remarked: “The administration may have legal justifications, but when only Muslim areas face such demolitions, the perception of bias becomes unavoidable. Development must be inclusive, not selective.”
