20/05/2026
‘Bulldozers Cannot Become Instruments of Collective Punishment’: Muzaffar Shah Slams Jammu Demolition Drive
Says Govt Has ‘Wasted Public Mandate’; Shahid Saleem Questions Govt Silence, Says ‘Poor Are Being Targeted, Not Big Fish’
Srinagar, May 20: Awami National Conference Senior Vice President Muzaffar Shah on Tuesday launched a scathing attack over the recent demolition drive in Jammu’s Bandi area near Sidhra, terming the action “inhuman, unconstitutional and a collective failure of governance,” after dozens of families were allegedly rendered homeless in an early morning bulldozer operation.
Addressing a press conference alongside senior social activist and United Peace Alliance Chairman Shahid Saleem, Shah said the demolition of homes belonging to nearly 40 to 50 families has raised “serious questions over the functioning, authority and accountability of the elected government.”
Calling the incident “heartbreaking,” Shah said the demolition targeted a tribal community that had been residing in the area for decades.
“These are not outsiders or encroachers who arrived yesterday. These are families who have been living there for 50, 70, even 100 years. Running bulldozers over their homes amounts to collective punishment, something which the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has already disallowed,” he said.
Referring to BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa, Shah warned against what he described as attempts to create communal divisions in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Do not try to push Jammu and Kashmir once again towards communal tension. Nobody here wants division between communities. Today, if voices are being raised for a tribal Muslim community, tomorrow similar outrage will erupt if such actions target our Hindu brothers. This dangerous politics must stop,” he said.
Earlier, Shahid Saleem alleged that the demolition drive came days after inflammatory remarks and threats were made against residents of the locality. He claimed that large groups accompanied by political supporters had entered the area warning residents to vacate their homes, following which bulldozers and heavy police deployment arrived before dawn on the seventh day.
Saleem further alleged that despite the presence of Forest Minister Javed Ahmed Rana at the site later, the officials responsible for the operation remained absent, exposing what he termed the “complete helplessness” of the ministry.
Questioning the moral authority of the government, Shah said the ruling dispensation had received a strong public mandate to protect the dignity, lives and property of the people, but had failed to act decisively when vulnerable families were displaced.
“This is perhaps the worst misuse of a public mandate. If ministers themselves are unaware of when bulldozers arrive and destroy the homes of 50 families, then what exactly is the government doing?” he asked.
The ANC leader also criticized the Forest Department’s handling of the situation and said immediate suspensions should have followed the demolition drive.
“If I were in the minister’s place, I would have suspended every official involved on the spot and ordered an inquiry later. A clear message needed to go out that no authority can use bulldozers against poor tribal families with impunity,” Shah asserted.
Calling for renewed political unity across Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said parties and leaders must rise above political divisions to collectively resist what he termed “selective and oppressive actions” against marginalized communities.
He also referred to the promises made after the abrogation of Article 370 regarding the implementation of the Forest Rights Act for Gujjar and Bakerwal communities, saying the present situation stood in direct contradiction to those assurances.
Meanwhile, Shahid Saleem alleged that several influential individuals accused of illegally occupying large tracts of land continue to evade action while “poor and helpless families” are being targeted.
“The government had promised action against the ‘big fish’. Are these homeless families the big fish?” he asked.
Describing the incident as an “act of extreme brutality,” both leaders demanded accountability, legal scrutiny and immediate relief for the affected families.
