Pakistan has condemned the bulldozing of Muslim-owned properties in New Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, days after the area was hit by communal violence.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Thursday saying that Pakistan “expresses deep concern” over the incident. “This shocking incident is [a] further manifestation of the absolute apathy, complete disregard for the rule of law, and deeply entrenched hatred against the Muslims in India,” the statement added.
Pakistan has expressed deep concern over the bulldozing of Muslim-owned properties in Jahangirpuri, New Delhi, calls upon India to treat Muslims with dignity &transparently investigate recent incidentshttps://t.co/w3r2JRNu2r pic.twitter.com/WMnC7N62gR
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) April 22, 2022
The statement condemned the “wanton destruction” of Muslim houses by the “Hindutva-inspired state machinery is highly deplorable.” It added that the “deliberate silence” of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the incident “has exposed the state-support provided to the Hindu zealots in their execution of a well-thought-out plan to marginalize and further dispossess the Muslims.”
The ministry blamed “radical Hindu mobs” for spearheading a surge in communal violence against Muslims during Ramadan and accused India’s law enforcement agencies of not responding to “urgent calls for assistance by the local Muslim communities in New Delhi, as well as across other states.”
It also urged the international community to “take note of the deeply worrying trajectory of Islamophobia in India and play its due role in ensuring the safety, security and well-being of the Muslim community in India.”
“Pakistan calls upon India to treat the Muslims with dignity, transparently investigate the recent incidents of widespread violence, and take effective measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in future,” the statement added.
Islamabad’s reaction came after the BJP-ruled North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) started demolishing houses in Jahangirpuri in what it argued was an “anti-encroachment drive.” According to The Hindu, NDMC bulldozers on Wednesday drove to Jahangirpuri’s Block C, where most of the Muslim residents live, and began demolishing walls, houses, and shops in the area; even the boundary walls of the local mosque were razed during the drive.
CPI(M) Leader Brinda Karat stood in front of a JCB to halt demolition drive in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri at 12.10 pm. Drive continued till 12.15 pm despite SC asking MCD to maintain status quo around 11 am. Action a few days after communal clashes on 16 April. @TheQuint @QuintHindi pic.twitter.com/JLH8RcvprZ
— Eshwar (@hey_eshwar) April 20, 2022
The demolitions continued even after the Supreme Court issued an order to stop the bulldozing; the NDMC only halted the demolitions when Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat arrived at the spot with an electronic copy of the order.
The demolitions were carried out just four days after Jahangirpuri was hit by communal violence. Clashes broke out on Saturday between Hindu and Muslim communities after they pelted stones at each other during a procession of Hindu devotees celebrating Hanuman Jayanti. At least nine people were injured during the fighting and the Delhi police have arrested more than 20 people in connection with the riots.
The Jahangirpuri violence took place against the backdrop of several recent communal riots across India on the occasion of Ram Navami. On April 10, communal clashes during Ram Navami celebrations in Gujarat left one person dead and injured several others.
Similar violence during Ram Navami was also seen in Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. Clashes also broke out during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and Andhra Pradesh.