"Temple Or Dargah, No Religious Structure Can Obstruct Public": Top Court
NDTV
The Supreme Court stressed India is a secular country and its directions for bulldozer action and anti-encroachment drives will be for all citizens
Public safety is paramount and any religious structure encroaching upon a road, water bodies, or rail tracks must go, the Supreme Court said today. The court stressed that India is a secular country and its directions for bulldozer action and anti-encroachment drives will be for all citizens, irrespective of their religion.
The bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan was hearing petitions challenging bulldozer action against people accused of crimes. The trend, which has caught on in several states, is often referred to as 'bulldozer justice'. The state authorities have, in the past, maintained that only illegal structures were demolished in such cases.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for three states -- Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Asked if being accused in a criminal case can be a ground for facing bulldozer action, Mr Mehta replied, "No absolutely not, even for heinous crimes like rape or terrorism. Like my lord said it cannot also be that the notice issued is stuck one day before, it has to be in advance. One of the concerns was that notice has to be issued... most municipal laws, depending on the subject matter they are dealing with, have provisions for issuance of notice. Your Lordships may read that a notice be issued via registered post."
