A political controversy has erupted in Gujarat’s Surat after nearly 100 houses in a Muslim-majority slum settlement were demolished, while local authorities, police and political leaders denied authorising the action, raising questions about who ordered the demolition.
The demolition took place in Nasirnagar, a settlement in Surat’s Katargam area, between May 30 and June 1. Residents alleged that bulldozers razed homes without prior notice, leaving dozens of families displaced.
Surat Civic Body Denies Ordering Demolition
The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has denied carrying out the demolition and said an inquiry has been launched to identify who authorised the operation.
Municipal Commissioner M Nagarajan said the civic body had no role in the demolition and that some municipal officials were present only for land demarcation work.
“The municipal team had gone there only for legal line drawing and road margin measurements,” BJP MLA Vinu Mordia said after seeking clarification from officials.
“No demolition order was issued, no official action was sanctioned and there is no record of such a drive in municipal files,” he added.
Mordia said he also spoke to the municipal commissioner, who confirmed that no demolition order had been issued by the civic body.
“Since no one other than SMC has the authority to demolish homes, this raises a serious question of law being taken into one’s own hands,” the BJP MLA said.
Residents Question Presence of Police During Drive
Residents of Nasirnagar questioned how such a large demolition operation could take place in the presence of police personnel and civic officials without official approval.
Local resident Javid Shah alleged that officers remained at the site while homes were being demolished.
“When the JCB claws were tearing through houses and women and children were crying to save their homes, policemen in uniform were standing there,” Shah said.
“If this demolition was illegal, why did the police not ask for a demolition order or a magistrate’s permission?” he asked.
The municipal commissioner claimed that the land belongs to a private entity and suggested that another party may have used machinery to remove structures.
“During that time, some structures were demolished by another party. The land belongs to a private entity, and they may have deployed machinery. The SMC has no role in the demolition,” Nagarajan said.
Gujarat High Court Moved Over Alleged Illegal Demolition
Following the incident, one of the affected residents, Ajij Husain Shaikh, approached the Gujarat High Court through lawyer Zamir Z Shaikh, alleging that the demolition was carried out without legal authorisation.
The matter is expected to be heard this week.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress accused the government of involvement and demanded an independent investigation into what it described as an unlawful demolition.
State Congress president Amit Chavda questioned how nearly 100 homes could be demolished in the presence of police without administrative approval.
“For the past ten days, we have been seeking answers about on whose instructions this demolition was carried out,” Chavda said.
“Our leaders are making representations every day, but authorities are not taking action. It shows that this illegal action was undertaken under instructions from senior officials and ruling party leaders,” he alleged.
The incident has now sparked wider debate in Gujarat, with critics describing it as a “ghost demolition” because no government department has publicly accepted responsibility for the bulldozer action.
