As part of anti-Muslim Drive across India, 525 properties razed in Gujarat’s Bet Dwarka alone
New Delhi: As part of the ongoing anti-Muslim drive across India, authorities in Gujarat’s Bet Dwarka town have demolished 525 properties, belonged to Muslims, a fact-finding report has revealed.
According to the report released by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), most of the razed homes belonged to Muslim fishermen. The report also documented instances where mobs celebrated the destruction of Muslim religious sites, raising slogans as dargahs were bulldozed.
Shockingly, 52 of the demolished houses were built under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojna, a government housing scheme. Despite residents showing officials their legal documents, authorities ignored them and even tore up the papers.
A fact-finding team, including representatives from APCR, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and social activists, visited the affected area on January 18. Residents reported that their homes were demolished within just two days of receiving notices, leaving them with no time to save their belongings. Some structures were razed only a day after notices were issued.
A displaced woman lamented, “We have lived here for over 30 years, yet the government demolished our home without any rehabilitation. Now we are homeless, forced to survive in makeshift tents with no support except from local well-wishers.”
Another elderly resident, who had been paying taxes and electricity bills for decades, condemned the state’s actions. “If we were on government land, why were we allowed to live here for 50 years? The government has destroyed our homes without providing an alternative, leaving our children homeless.”
The demolitions have also severely impacted education, with nearly 400 children losing their homes and access to schooling. Residents already struggling with water shortages before the demolitions have now been completely cut off from potable water.
The APCR report suggests that the demolitions were carried out to make way for a corridor and a tourist complex, including an expanded road to a temple. It accused the government of pushing a divisive agenda, stating, “Instead of upholding constitutional rights, the state is acting as a protector of majoritarian culture while fostering hatred and separatism against Muslims. This demolition drive is a direct assault on India’s secular fabric and syncretic traditions.”
