BSP supremo Mayawati on Sunday (August 18) criticized the BJP government in Rajasthan, stating that their decision to demolish the house of a boy who allegedly stabbed his classmate in Udaipur was against the rule of law.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the BSP supremo said that the state government failed to control the communal violence that erupted after the stabbing incident between two schoolchildren, and as a response, they demolished the accused's home with a bulldozer.
"But this does not seem to be in line with the rule of law, and the honorable court should take cognizance of the incident," she said.
"The politically motivated actions being carried out in BJP-ruled states to cover up poor law and order situations and to divert people's attention are unfair. It would be better if the government followed the law impartially and acted as its guardian," she added.
It is pertinent to note that the city municipal corporation earlier on Saturday demolished the house that the 15-year-old accused and his family were renting on the grounds that it “encroached” on forest land.
According to the police, the forest department had issued the family a notice on Saturday morning. After the owner was unable to provide any form of ownership document, the house was demolished.
Meanwhile, in a video that circulated soon after the demolition, a man who identified himself as the landlord of the house said there were four other families living in the house, all of whom were asked to vacate.
“The family of the boy involved is now living at their relative’s place,” the man, Rashid Khan, is heard saying in the video. “Why is the administration demolishing my house? I went to the municipal corporation, but everyone was on leave. I went to the police station, but they refused to stop the demolition. This is an injustice towards me – I have lost my house without any fault of mine.”
About the Incident:
The incident occurred at a government school in Bhattiyani Chohatta, where a Class 10 student stabbed another boy. While the immediate cause of the altercation is still under investigation, the police reported that the incident sparked violence across the city, with an angry mob pelting stones and setting three or four cars on fire.
"After the unfortunate incident that took place during the day, there was public outrage on the streets, leading to some incidents of vandalism," said Udaipur SP Yogesh Goyal.
"We immediately decided to impose Section 144 in the city. The injured child received medical aid and is now stable," he added, noting that additional police officers have been deployed to maintain law and order.
