Uttar Pradesh: When bulldozers backfire and fatigue looms

As is now customary for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, JCB bulldozers were lined up on the highway to Meerut and Saharanpur on 21-22 September to greet visiting BJP President Nitin Nabin. The rashtriya adhyaksh looked pleased as punch when showered with flowers at a toll plaza as his convoy entered Meerut.

The welcome ceremony, however, generated considerable resentment even among BJP supporters in Meerut, where bulldozers have been busy demolishing commercial establishments built in violation of building laws. Feedback must have reached Nabin — the next day, his convoy did not stop at Saharanpur and sped past the JCBs ‘guard of honour’.

In 2024, the Supreme Court ordered the demolition of 44 properties in Meerut — residential plots put to commercial use — in Shastri Nagar’s central market. Some were sealed and some demolished.

In July, the Supreme Court was informed that the number of commercial establishments in violation of building laws might be as high as 859. In September, the number shot up to 16,726 ‘unauthorised constructions’ identified in a single survey zone. The Supreme Court ordered that the properties — schools, nursing homes, jewellery shops, sweet shops and houses for economically weaker sections — be sealed.

Residential properties converted into commercial establishments without lawful approval, unauthorised additions and encroachments into mandatory setback areas were flagged.

The court ruled against regularisation merely because they happen to be old constructions and because authorities failed to act earlier. The bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan held that illegal constructions remain illegal regardless of how much time has passed.

While traders and businessmen, who have traditionally supported the BJP, are upset with the government’s failure to protect their interests and investments, officials have pleaded that they are bound by the court’s order.

The question people have begun asking is: where will the bulldozers stop? Illegal and unauthorised constructions are common everywhere in Uttar Pradesh, and if demolitions are ordered in Meerut, by what logic can it be stopped elsewhere?

While Muslims, mosques and alleged criminals have borne the brunt of bulldozers in the state so far, the consequences of the Supreme Court’s order are far-reaching in terms of use, abuse and misuse.

Officials conceded that all it takes is RTI information from municipal bodies on illegal and unauthorised constructions, followed by petitions in court seeking their demolition. Those revelling in the demolition of mosques and properties owned by Muslims are suddenly apprehensive that Yogi Adityanath’s ‘bulldozer justice’ could turn around to bite them instead.

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Trouble in paradise?

BJP insiders claim that the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh has struck off the names of a large number of BJP supporters. A minister confided that booth-level agents (BLAs) of the Samajwadi Party had done a much better job in ensuring that Muslim voters do not get deleted in the exercise.

Even chief minister Yogi Adityanath, he claimed, is upset. That explains why he has been exhorting BJP workers to speed up the registration of ‘new voters’ by filling up Form 6 and Form 6A. The situation, the minister hoped, would right itself before the 2027 Assembly election.

There is a tacit admission that the BJP will find it tough to win the election. Anti-incumbency and the fatigue factor would have to be overcome. The RSS held a ‘chintan baithak’ which flagged four concerns at a coordination meeting in Lucknow.

There is growing anger against BJP MLAs and local leaders. BJP workers are demoralised and unhappy, partly because of issues like inflation, unemployment and chanda chori from the Ram mandir in Ayodhya, and partly because officials and police are no longer as receptive to BJP MLAs and workers. Corruption in government offices and a growing disconnect with Gen Z were also noted at the meeting.

The broad message from the RSS to the BJP was: “Forget differences and grievances; get down to election preparations.”