283 Muslims, 71 Hindus affected by demolition drive in Nuh: Haryana govt in High Court

Tribune News Service

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, August 18

Less than a fortnight after the Punjab and Haryana High Court asserted one of the issues arising out of Nuh demolitions was whether the state was conducting “ethnic cleansing”, the Haryana government today claimed that 283 Muslims and 71 Hindus were affected by the demolition drive carried out recently in the district. The state, at the same time, justified the numbers by claiming that Nuh was essentially a Muslim-dominated area.

Nuh Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata's reply in this regard was directed to be submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court Registry by the Division Bench of Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and Justice Arun Palli during a brief hearing held this afternoon.

As the suo motu case against the State of Haryana came up for resumed hearing, Additional Advocate-General Deepak Sabharwal told the Bench that replies in compliance with the directions issued on the previous date of hearing were ready.

Among other things, it was stated in the Nuh deputy commissioner’s reply that a detailed report was solicited from all heads of the departments in Nuh district regarding the demolitions carried out “in last two weeks till August 7”.

The report said 443 structures were demolished, out of which 162 were permanent and the remaining 281 temporary. The number of persons affected by the demolition drive was 354, of which 71 were Hindus and 283 Muslims.

Referring to the 2011 census, the report added Mewat had a population of 10,89,263, of which the Muslim and the Hindu population was around 79.20 per cent and 20.37 per cent, respectively. “The census of 2011 clearly shows that Nuh is a Muslim-dominated district. Further, the projected population of Nuh in 2023 is 14,21,933. It is pertinent to mention in the Punhana tehsil of Nuh district, Muslims make up for 87 per cent of the population and 85 per cent in Ferozepur Jhirka.”

The affidavit added that due procedure of law was followed before the demolition of the constructions. In fact, no demolition was carried out without following the procedure of law. “The government while removing encroachments/ unauthorized constructions never adopted a pick and choose policy and that too on the caste, creed or religion,” the reply said.

Taking a similar stand, Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav submitted that the state government did not collect any information with regard to caste, creed and religion while collecting details regarding encroachment. All the encroachers were, rather, dealt with in the same manner.

“The apex court and the high court have time and again directed the state governments and the local authorities to demolish/ remove unauthorized encroachments by way of permanent /temporary constructions on government/panchayats/ local bodies’ lands. The demolitions in question were routine measures taken by independent local authorities against the unauthorized/occupiers or illegal structures and that too after following the due procedure of law,” he concluded.

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