Opposition hail SC order on demolitions in U.P., push for strict regulations

Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh criticize U.P. BJP government over illegal demolition, Supreme Court orders compensation.

The opposition parties in Uttar Pardesh on Tuesday (April 1, 2025) strongly criticised the U.P. BJP government and the Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) over the demolition of five houses in 2021, deeming the action illegal. The reactions followed the Supreme Court rulling to the PDA to pay ₹ 10 lakh in compensation to each of the five house owners, whose properties have been destroyed, within six weeks.

Stressing the legal and moral implications of the order, opposition parties targeted the U.P. government, stating the ruling highlighted a lack of adherence to the rule of law. Samajwadi Party (SP) spokesperson Ram Pratap Singh welcomed the verdict: “Samajwadi Party welcomes the Supreme Court order instructing the Prayagraj Development Authority to pay a compensation of ₹10 lakhs each to all the parties whose homes were demolished by the authority in 2021. The SP has always opposed hasty bulldozer action, by various government agencies, for demolition of homes and buildings without waiting for specific court orders,” he said.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav, writing on X, also took a positive note of the rulling, however he emphasised the emotional damage done to the victims. “The truth is that a home is not made only with money and neither can the pain of its breaking be healed with money alone. For the family members, home is an emotion and the emotions that are hurt when it breaks can neither be compensated nor completely fulfilled by anyone,” he wrote.

The Congress party called for stricter regulations from the apex court to prevent arbitrary demolitions and urged for effective, time-bound remedies. National Secretary Shahnawaz Alam stated, “In U.P., there is a clear pattern of bulldozer actions targeting certain people and communities by the government. The apex court should ensure strict, time-bound remedies against any such injustice and initiate regulations preventing unjust actions. In this case also, the Allahabad High Court did not order any compensation. Common people cannot easily fight the state in the Supreme Court; hence the judiciary must also ensure justice is delivered at the lower level,” he argued.

Describing the demolition in Prayagraj as an action that ‘shocked’ its conscience, the apex court stressed the importance of adhering to proper legal procedures. Hearing a petition filed by Zulfiqar Haider, Ali Ahmed, and other affected individuals, the court had earlier, on March 24, termed the demolition ‘high-handed’ and a violation of basic legal principles. It specifically declared the act of demolishing the houses within 24 hours of serving notice as illegal.