RAIPUR: On the occasion of Arun Sao completing one year in office as the Chhattisgarh BJP president, a right-wing organisation greeted him with a bulldozer that showered flowers on him at the main entrance of the party headquarters in Raipur.
Sao, also a Lok Sabha member from Bilaspur, responded equivocally, conveying that if the BJP is voted to power, the criminals or mafia operating in the state will meet punitive action. He did not rule out the use of bulldozers.
“Our party cadres and leaders are committed to fighting against injustice and will root out the non-performing corrupt Congress government. Chhattisgarh will see a BJP government again after the Assembly polls and bulldozers will be used against the rising crimes and lawbreakers in the state,” Sao affirmed.
Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, reacting to Sao’s remarks, said that the BJP should initially think of operating the bulldozer demolition drive against their leaders involved in alleged commission-khori (corruption) during the earlier Raman Singh regime.
“We don’t believe in resorting to bulldozer punishment. The Congress party has firm faith in the rule of law. And in Chhattisgarh, there is peace and the rule of law prevails. BJP’s politics is based on hate and violence as their leaders can go to any extent to acquire power by trying to instigate the people,” CM Baghel said.
In recent years, some BJP-ruled states have been often using bulldozers to demolish the houses of alleged rioters and anti-social elements. Many, including activists, dubbed such actions of the BJP governments as “selective.”
“Ironically Sao, who is also a lawyer, supports the bulldozer model of justice. Does he believe that there is now no need for the courts to adjudicate offences and criminal cases? With such a bulldozer model of punishments seen, is there any space left for democracy or the need for an intervention by the courts? We must understand that those operating bulldozers are not judges and in Indian law, there is no provision for bulldozer justice,” asserted Sunil Kumar, a senior editor based in Raipur.
