Bulldozer justice[1][2][a] is a term referring to the use of the bulldozer, an industrial machine, as a political tool and symbol in Indian politics, particularly in the politics of Uttar Pradesh, starting in 2017. This began with the evoking of the machine by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of the BJP. While bulldozers are routinely used across India to remove illegal constructions, the bulldozer has been portrayed as a symbol of law enforcement in addressing property-related crimes, communal violence rioters and alleged criminal activity. Demolition of structures has been increasingly reported in states with BJP leadership as a measure against illegal constructions.[6] Following its usage in political messaging in Uttar Pradesh, the bulldozer was used in Madhya Pradesh to convey political messages aimed at showing a strong stance against criminals. Some narratives suggest that certain communities perceive the use of bulldozers as biased. In particular, properties belonging to and settlements primarily populated by Muslims have been disproportionately targeted.[7][8] Critics also argue that giving up on the rule of law and adopting "bulldozer justice" is the initial move toward an authoritarian society. In such a society, the safety, life, and liberty of individuals would depend on the arbitrary decisions of state officials.[9]
Its rhetorical usage by Adityanath started following the commencement of his first term in office in March 2017. By 2020, property belonging to numerous criminals such as Vikas Dubey, as well as politician-strongmen and gangsters Mukhtar Ansari and Atique Ahmed had been demolished using bulldozers. The action against Dubey started after he and his associates killed eight policemen in July 2020 during an attempted arrest. The UP government committed to free up 67,000 acres (270 km2)[b] of government land and other illegally occupied land by land mafia, issuing certain directives related to the use of bulldozers and also warning of their misuse. Adityanath began his second term as chief minister in March 2022. Similarly, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, another state with a BJP-based CM, began usage of the bulldozer in March 2022 against properties of the mafia, accused rapists and rioters. By late April 2022, bulldozers had also been used on the property of rioters in Delhi and Gujarat, with politics and legal issues ensuing, including over anti-encroachment drives in a BJP-held municipality in Rajasthan, an otherwise Congress-ruled state. In Uttarakhand, rioters during Hanuman Jayanti processions were threatened with bulldozers parked in the vicinity of property owned by the accused.
The number of displaced people rose from 107,625 in 2019 to 515,752 by 2023. In total, 153,820 houses were demolished by authorities in 2022 and 2023, leaving 738,438 people displaced. [6] In September 2024, the Supreme Court ordered the governments to stop bulldozing homes.[10][11][12][13]
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