Supreme Court Refuses To Order Stay On Bulldozing of Muslim Properties
In a blatant failure to protect its most vulnerable citizens, the Supreme Court has refused to pass an interim stay on the bulldozing of Muslim-owned homes and properties in various states across India, most notably Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, all of which are ruled by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Court fell back on the states’ excuse that the homes were “illegally constructed,” saying that no order could be passed to restrict authorities from bulldozing the houses in that case.
The Court ignored the glaring evidence that home demolitions in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi have been targeted against Muslims only after outbreaks of communal violence. Moreover, those who have their homes bulldozed are rarely given notice that their homes are about to be bulldozed and often do not know that their homes have been labeled as “illegal.”
Human rights defenders, including Muslim activist Afreen Fatima, whose family house was recently demolished in Uttar Pradesh state due to her activism, have slammed the government for using demolitions as a form of “collective punishment to the entire Muslim community.”
Amnesty International has also condemned the demolitions as a “violation of International Human Rights Laws.”
Uttar Pradesh Forms Special Investigations Team To Probe 6 Cases Against Muslim Journalist Mohammad Zubair
Uttar Pradesh police formed a Special Investigations Team (SIT) to probe six cases lodged by people linked to Hindu right-wing groups against fact checking website Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair.
“UP police tightens noose against Alt news co founder Mohammad Zubair. Forms SIT led by Inspector General Preetinder Singh to look into six cases registered against Zubair,” tweeted journalist Piyush Rai.
The SIT has allegedly been formed to do a “transparent” probe. However, Hindu extremists, who are influential in Uttar Pradesh, continue to clamor for Zubair to remain imprisoned.
Hindu extremists have filed a number of frivolous cases against Zubair for “allegedly making sarcastic comments against a news channel anchor, hurting sentiments of Hindus, making objectionable comments on deities and uploading provocative posts.”
After Months-Long Delay, Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Muslim Students’ Petitions Against Karnataka’s Hijab Ban
After a delay of almost four months, the Supreme Court finally agreed to hear Muslim students’ petition against Karnataka state’s discriminatory ban on hijabs in schools, which has barred thousands of students from taking critical exams and subjected them to harassment from Hindu extremist groups.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan had demanded an urgent listing of the matter, citing the harsh treatment of the students. “These are the hijab matters from Karnataka. Not been listed at all. Filed in March. Students are facing difficulties,” he said.
While the students’ advocate had moved to the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing in March, soon after the hijab ban was ordered, the Court refused to prioritize the case, setting a dangerous precedent for schools in other states that also began to ban or restrict the hijab.
