AAP questions use of bulldozer on houses of UP violence accused

The Aam Aadmi Party AAP on Monday questioned the demolition of houses of the alleged Friday violence accused in Uttar Pradesh, saying there is no law for punishing people indulged in violent activities by razing their properties.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday questioned the demolition of houses of the alleged Friday violence accused in Uttar Pradesh, saying there is no law for punishing people indulged in violent activities by razing their properties. The party's reaction came a day after Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) on Sunday demolished the house of Javed Ahmad, the alleged mastermind of the June 10 violence in Prayagraj. A day earlier, properties of two other accused of rioting -- Muzammil and Abdul Vakir -- were demolished in Saharanpur. Uttar Pradesh police had said that their houses were illegal.

''If someone violates law, indulges in violence -- give strict punishment to such a person as per law,” AAP Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Sanjay Singh said in a tweet in Hindi, reacting to demolition of houses of the Friday violence accused in UP.

“Where is the law for demolition of house using bulldozer?” he added.

On June 11, the Kanpur Development Authority had demolished a four-storey residential building owned allegedly by one Mohammad Ishtiyaq, who is said to be a close aide of prime accused in June 3 Kanpur violence case Zafar Hayat Hashmi.

The Kanpur police had claimed that the demolition of the building was carried out in accordance with “norms and regulations”.

Violence broke out in Kanpur on June 3 after some people gathered demanding strict action against now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad. Sharma's remarks stoked protests in several districts of Uttar Pradesh.