Thousands protest ‘bulldozer justice’ against Indian Muslims

By BISWAJEET BANERJEE
Associated Press

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Protests are erupting in many Indian cities against the demolition of homes and businesses belonging to Muslims in what critics call a growing pattern of “bulldozer justice” aimed at punishing activists from the minority group. On Sunday, authorities in a northern state razed the home of a Muslim who they said was linked to protests sparked by derogatory remarks about Islam made by two officials of the ruling Hindu nationalist party. Bulldozers also crushed the properties of protesters in two other cities in Uttar Pradesh. Similar incidents have occurred in other states. Prominent judges and lawyers are urging India’s chief justice to hold a hearing on the demolitions, calling them an illegal extrajudicial punishment.