Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.
Credit: PTI Photo
Farrukhabad: A team of district administration has razed several illegal structures built on a government land in a village in Mohammadabad block for construction of a green energy corridor, officials said on Sunday.
The move has attracted criticism from the Samajwadi Party, with its chief Akhilesh Yadav saying that it is "height of political cruelty".
Four bulldozers were used on Saturday evening to demolish the structures on a barren land encroached upon for years in Ukhra village, the officials said.
Tehsildar (revenue officer), Sadar, Shraddha Pandey said about one-and-a-half hectares of land has been acquired with the consent of the village society for the green energy corridor.
"The government land was illegally occupied by some people. It is being freed from encroachments. All illegal constructions will be razed," she said.
Sharing a 17-second video on X in which bulldozers could be seen in action, SP chief Yadav said in Hindi, "This is the ugly face of BJP politics full of revenge. BJP gets happiness in demolishing settled houses. Those who have not settled their own houses, I don't know what revenge they take for by demolishing the houses of others. With every falling house, BJP also falls even lower."
He further wrote, "For Amritkaal's information: Today, in village Ukhra of Amritpur assembly constituency of Farrukhabad Lok Sabha (constituency), by running bulldozers on the houses of 25 poor families settled for years, who knows how many old people, sick people were rendered homeless in the rains. This is the height of political cruelty." While hearing a batch of pleas against bulldozer actions in various states, the Supreme Court on September 17 passed an interim order that no demolition of properties should take place in the country without its permission.
The apex court had, however, clarified that the order is not applicable to encroachments on public roads, footpaths, railway lines, or other public spaces.