BJP’s bulldozer politics: Muslim shrine razed in Yogi’s Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow: Authorities in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, under Hindutva Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, have demolished a Muslim shrine under a development project, raising fresh concerns over the growing use of demolition drives targeting Islamic religious sites in BJP-governed states.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the structure, associated with Hazrat Baba Jafar Ali Shah — locally known as “Masoom Baba” — was razed in Gorakhpur city as part of a drainage expansion project.
The demolition was carried out under heavy police deployment, with bulldozers removing the shrine located near a residential neighborhood in Shahpur area. Local residents gathered at the site, with witnesses describing emotional scenes as the shrine — believed to have existed for decades — was destroyed. Authorities justified the action, claiming that the land was designated for widening a drainage canal.
However, the move has drawn attention to a broader pattern in Uttar Pradesh, where bulldozer-driven demolition campaigns have frequently targeted Muslim homes, businesses and religious structures under the pretext of development or anti-encroachment drives.
Uttar Pradesh’s administration under CM Yogi has repeatedly employed bulldozer demolitions as a governance tool, with the machinery increasingly showcased as a symbol of power during rallies and public messaging.
Analysts and civil rights groups say these actions have disproportionately affected Muslim communities, raising concerns about selective enforcement and communal bias. Courts in India, including the Supreme Court and several high courts, have previously criticized demolition drives in the state, warning against punitive or arbitrary demolitions without due process. Despite such judicial observations, bulldozer operations continue across multiple districts.
Over recent years, several mosques, shrines and Muslim-owned properties in Uttar Pradesh and other BJP-ruled states have been demolished during development or anti-encroachment campaigns. Rights advocates argue that while authorities site development as justification, Muslim religious sites often bear the brunt of enforcement actions.
