The bulldozer action against illegal encroachments continues in Uttar Pradesh under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. In Farrukhabad, officials demolished 25 to 30 illegal houses using bulldozers, which ignited significant controversy.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticized the demolition on social media, stating, “This is the ugly face of BJP politics, driven by revenge. The BJP finds joy in demolishing settled homes. Those who haven’t secured their own houses seem intent on taking revenge by destroying others’ homes. With each house that falls, the BJP sinks even lower.”
In Farrukhabad, over 30 individuals occupied 30 bighas of barren land belonging to the Gram Panchayat, designated for a power plant. Despite the district administration’s orders to vacate, residents did not comply. Consequently, on Saturday, officials and a revenue team arrived and began demolishing the homes, refusing to grant villagers extra time to relocate.
Furthermore, the government reserved approximately 100 bighas of land in the village panchayat Ukhra for the power plant. However, more than 30 villagers built permanent houses on 30 bighas of this land.
As a result, residents were shocked by the sudden demolitions, scrambling to save their belongings, including cots, beds, TVs, and clothes. They expressed their anguish, stating they had invested their hard-earned money over the past 30 years to build their homes. In addition, villagers offered to give more land from their fields to save their houses, but officials ignored their pleas. Consequently, they voiced concerns about where they would live with their children after losing their homes, lamenting that authorities initiated the demolitions without any prior notice, ultimately leaving them homeless.