Supreme Court Slams UP's 'Bulldozer Politics'

The Supreme Court has ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to compensate a man whose house was demolished for road widening in 2019, criticizing the misuse of bulldozers for political advantage. Opposition parties like Samajwadi and Congress condemned the actions as a misuse of power to curry favor with the government.

The Supreme Court has taken a strong stand against the Uttar Pradesh government for its use of bulldozers in demolishing a man's house as part of a road widening project in 2019. The court directed the state to compensate the victim with Rs 25 lakh, calling the actions high-handed and improper.

The apex court's decision has been welcomed by oppositional forces, including the Samajwadi Party and Congress, who criticized the state government for allegedly using such demolitions to win favor with higher authorities. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Sharvendra Bikram Singh strongly condemned the practice, calling it 'criminal.'

Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud led a three-judge bench to inquire into the illegal demolition in Maharajganj district, emphasizing that arbitrary demolitions cannot become the norm. Both Samajwadi and Congress parties termed the actions as 'bulldozer politics,' asking for similar checks on the homes of involved officials.

(With inputs from agencies.)