The Indian Supreme Court has found itself at the centre of an intense social media discussion after the BJP-run Delhi civic body officials defied the top court’s order staying the demolition drive in Jahangirpuri this week.
Officials from the BJP-run civic body were seen going ahead with demolishing houses and shops, mostly belonging to the Muslim community even after the Supreme Court directed them to maintain the status quo.
The civic body officials were seen demolishing parts of a local mosque as part of their so-called encroachment drive.
A day later, the Supreme Court extended the stay on the demolition drive by two weeks as it expressed its anguish over the defiance shown by the BJP-run civic body to its order.
A Supreme Court bench of Justices LN Rao and BR Gavai said that it would ‘take a serious view of all demolitions that took place after the Supreme Court decision was communicated to the mayor.’
Senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan tweeted, “ Mayor who ordered Jahangirpuri demolition knew of Supreme Court Status Quo order, yet allowed the demolitions to continue. Hope he is hauled up for contempt & made to pay for the loss that citizens have suffered from his pocket.”
Mayor who ordered Jahangirpuri demolition knew of Supreme Court Status Quo order, yet allowed the demolitions to continue. Hope he is hauled up for contempt & made to pay for the loss that citizens have suffered from his pocket pic.twitter.com/3JhwCp5ZnU
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) April 21, 2022
Congress leader Salman Anees Soz wrote, “What happened in #Jahangirpuri despite a Supreme Court order has now become a big question mark for the Court itself. If the Supreme Court is unable to deliver justice in a case where its order was disobeyed, I think the justices should resign and let the RSS & BJP do their job.”
What happened in #Jahangirpuri despite a Supreme Court order has now become a big question mark for the Court itself. If the Supreme Court is unable to deliver justice in a case where its order was disobeyed, I think the justices should resign and let the RSS & BJP do their job.
— Salman Anees Soz (@SalmanSoz) April 21, 2022
Cartoonist Manjul aptly captured the Supreme Court’s helplessness through his cartoon, which showed the judges being lifted by a bulldozer even as they shouted ‘order, order.’
#SupremeCourt #Jahangirpuri #Bulldozer #MCD
My #cartoon for @News9Tweets pic.twitter.com/BVDauqoNlp— MANJUL (@MANJULtoons) April 20, 2022
The Delhi civic body had decided to carry out the demolition drive in Jahangirpuri hours after an armed Hindu religious procession turned violent, triggering clashes in the area.
The local administration had argued the demolition drive was aimed at the illegal encroachments in the area. However, senior Supreme Court lawyer Dushyant Dave disagreed with the argument as he told the top court, “If you want to remove encroachments come to Sainik farms. Come to golf links, where I stay and every second home is an encroachment somewhere, but you don’t touch it at all.”
“If you want to remove encroachments come to Sainik farms. Come to golf links, where I stay and every second home is an encroachment somewhere, but you don't touch it at all: Dushyant Dave before Supreme Court”#SupremeCourtofindia #jahagirpuri #jahangirpuri pic.twitter.com/yrsum3g64j
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) April 21, 2022
Meanwhile, Indian Express has reported that National Commission for Minorities (NCM) member Syed Shahzadi on Thursday said the panel will submit a report to the government on the communal violence in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area and recommend appropriate action.
