New Delhi: Amid the demolition drive in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, the Supreme Court on Thursday sought the state government’s response to pleas by Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind and ordered the administration to follow the process of law for carrying out the demolition of unauthorized structures.
Justice AS Bopanna and Justice Vikram Nath observed that the court cannot put a stay on the demolition but the process of law must be followed for the demolition of alleged unauthorized structures.
The bench further ordered the Uttar Pradesh government and others to file a reply on the Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind application against the demolition drive.
The Supreme Court asked the Uttar Pradesh government to file an affidavit in three days and said that the hearing on the matter will be held next week.
Hearing the matter, the Supreme Court observed that “the government will get time to file their objections. We should ensure their safety in the meantime. They are also part of society. When someone has a grievance they have a right to have it addressed. Such demolitions can only happen as per Act. We will hear the case next week.”
A senior advocate appearing for the petitioner said that the reason cited for the demolition was that the action taken against the protesters involved in violence.
He argued that “demolition keeps happening again and again. It is shocking and appalling. This was not during the Emergency, not during the pre-independence era. These are houses standing for more than 20 years and sometimes not even belonging to the accused but their aged parents.”
Countering his submission, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government claimed that no legal structure was demolished during the drive.
(With Agency Inputs)