Jamaat-e-Islami Hind demands halt on demolition drives across India

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has expressed concern over demolition drives across India, Rajya Sabha election credibility, West Bengal situation and US–Iran peace agreement. It urged authorities and civil society to ensure protection of rights, rehabilitation and democratic fairness

New Delhi: Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) on Tuesday expressed concerns over demolition drives across the country, the US–Iran peace agreement, the integrity of the Rajya Sabha elections and the post-election situation in West Bengal.

Addressing the media, JIH Vice President Malik Motasim Khan and other leaders urged civil society, human rights organisations and legal experts to take cognisance of these issues and stand in solidarity with affected people. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind reiterated that protecting the rights, dignity and security of all citizens remains fundamental to upholding the constitutional and democratic framework of the nation.

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Malik Motasim Khan said, “In the last few weeks, demolition drives were carried out in Delhi, Bandra, Faridabad, Viramgam (Gujarat), Goregaon (Maharashtra), Varanasi, Sambhal, Jaipur, Bhayandar, PCMC, Etawah.”

“In Pimpri Chinchwad, authorities issued notices to multiple religious structures and demolished several during a late-night operation. In Surat’s Nasir Nagar, 106 houses were demolished over three days, and in Jaipur, Noorani Mosque was demolished as part of a road-widening project,” he said.

“Many affected families have been left without adequate shelter and no clarity on rehabilitation. Demolitions during the extreme summer have already caused hardship, and the monsoon is likely to worsen the situation. The Supreme Court has stressed that evictions must not be carried out without proper rehabilitation,” he said.

Welcoming the US–Iran peace agreement, JIH Vice President Salim Engineer expressed hope that all agreed-upon provisions will be implemented in both letter and spirit by the stakeholders. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind hoped that the Government of India would play a more proactive role in promoting peace and dialogue.

“At the same time, we express our solidarity with the people of Iran and acknowledge their resilience. It is also important that the international community does not ignore ongoing injustices, particularly issues related to war crimes and humanitarian violations in Gaza and Palestine,” said Engineer.

On the issue of Rajya Sabha elections, he said, “Recent trends have raised disturbing questions about the credibility of the election process. Allegations of horse-trading, money power, intimidation of legislators and cross-voting have become recurring features.”

“The recent rejection of a Rajya Sabha candidate’s nomination belonging to the Opposition, reportedly for the first time in its history, puts a question mark on procedural fairness and sets a dangerous precedent,” he said.

Speaking on the situation in West Bengal, Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) National Secretary Nadeem Khan said, “There are many reports of attempts to forcibly and coercively shift political loyalties, break opposition parties, and incidents of street-level violence against political opponents, creating an atmosphere of intimidation and coercion.”

Developments in West Bengal, including demolition drives alongside reports of political coercion and intimidation, point to an emerging climate that is increasingly hazardous to democratic functioning, said Nadeem Khan.