Bhopal: In Madhya Pradesh, Indian authorities have demolished the home of Haji Shahzad Ali, a senior Muslim politician, following his participation in protests against alleged Islamophobic comments by a Hindu religious leader.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the controversy began after remarks by Pandit Ram Giri Maharaj targeting Islam at a public gathering. In response, authorities demolished Ali’s residence, an act that has not been applied to the Hindu leader who made the remarks.
The demolition has elicited strong reactions, including from Congress party leader Priyanka Gandhi, who condemned the demolition as a “severe injustice” and criticized the selective enforcement practices against minority communities. This incident is part of a worrying trend in India, where over the past two years, actions similar to this have displaced hundreds of thousands of people, predominantly from Muslim communities.
The situation has sparked broader national and international debates on the treatment of minorities in India, with various political and human rights groups calling for immediate cessation of such punitive measures against minorities.