Indian government destroys dozens of Muslim businesses without warning

A bulldozer demolishes a structure deemed illegal by the indie government, in New Delhi in the Jahangirpuri district on April 20, 2022. AFP - MONEY SHARMA

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The operation was carried out in New Delhi in a neighborhood with a high concentration of Muslims.

The government claims that the destroyed businesses were built illegally.

But everyone sees it as a repression of Muslims by the Hindu nationalist government.

Advertisement

Read more

With our correspondent in New Delhi,

Sébastien Farcis

Medina walks over a pile of bricks stacked in front of her house.

This is all that the bulldozer left of her small vegetable shop that this Muslim woman had run with her family for more than 30 years.

“ 

We grew up here and managed to earn some money.

And all of a sudden, they demolish everything, without warning us

 , ”she laments. 

In this district of Jahangirpuri, with a strong Muslim concentration, dozens of businesses suffered the same fate: supposedly illegal, they were razed.

But this operation comes four days after a violent and illegal Hindu procession there led to clashes with Muslims.

The ruling Hindu nationalists promised to avenge the Hindus.

That's when the bulldozers arrived.   

 The bulldozer destroyed the gate of the mosque, but it didn't touch the Hindu temple next door.

Here we have always considered that God was unique, but they make the difference between Hindus and Muslims.

Why do they treat us like this?

asks Medina

.

The same procedure was followed in other states ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP: religious violence, followed by bulldozers against Muslims.

In New Delhi, the Supreme Court has just suspended the potentially illegal operation. 

► To read also: Violence against Muslims in India: the opposition is stepping up

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_EN

  • India

  • Religion