Brinda Karat takes on BJP in Supreme Court over Jahangirpuri demolitions

New Delhi: Communist Party of India (Marxist) Politburo member and former Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat has told the Supreme Court that the demolition exercise at the Capital’s Jahangirpuri area was carried out at the “dictates” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) targeting one particular minority community.

In an affidavit filed by her on Thursday ahead of the hearing by the top court on her petition terming the demolition “illegal”, Karat based her claim on an April 16 letter written by Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta, days before the bulldozers rolled out in Jahangirpuri C-block on April 20.

The letter instructed the mayor of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to take action against “alleged rioters” who had disrupted a Shobha Yatra on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti on April 16. The BJP leader’s letter specifically stated about the illegal encroachments and structures built by the “rioters” who enjoyed the patronage of the local legislator belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

“The fact that the demolition drive using bulldozers was only a malafide exercise of power targeting a particular minority community, under the guise of removal of encroachment is clear from the letter. It was a malafide action at the dictates of the political party which governs the Municipal Corporation,” Karat said.

The top court had on April 21 ordered status quo while issuing notice on a clutch of petitions, including Karat’s petition and took a serious view of how the demolition continued on April 20 despite a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) directing status quo earlier that day. The petitions are listed for hearing on May 9.

The CPI (M) leader said, “The Municipal authorities and the police resorted to inhumane and illegal bulldozing and demolition of buildings of poor people of Jahangirpuri Block-C out of sheer malafides under the guise of removal of encroachments. It was not a bonafide exercise of power following due process of law, and principles of natural justice.”

Pointing to the events of April 20 when she personally visited the spot and pleaded with the municipal authorities to stop bulldozers following SC relief, Karat said that the “municipal authorities and the police refused to heed the request and continued irresponsible and illegal, indiscriminate demolition.”

“As a matter of fact, the factum of passing of the interim order by this Court was formally communicated to the mayor/ municipal authorities and the police by one of the counsels appearing in a connected matter,” said the affidavit. However, the authorities continued with the demolition claiming they were yet to receive any order, she added.

She produced statements by the local residents pointing out how the demolition was carried out with full vigour despite the top court’s order. The authorities not only resorted to demolishing the buildings of the poor residents living in the locality but also “destructed the authorized vending carts” belonging to some of the street vendors living there.

Violent clashes had erupted in Jahangirpuri on April 16 during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations following stone pelting by local miscreants which left eight policemen and a civilian injured.