NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday gave the Uttar Pradesh government three days to respond to petitions challenging the selective demolition of properties of protesters, re-emphasising the need to follow the due process of law.
There must be a sense among the citizens that the rule of law prevails in the country, a vacation bench of justices A S Bopanna and Vikram Nath said. It posted the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.
“Everything should be fair. We expect the authorities to strictly follow the due procedure under the law,” it said. Following protests in UP last week over hate speech by two BJP functionaries, properties of activists and those who allegedly led the protests were razed by the district administrations.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the UP government, and senior advocate Harish Salve, representing the Kanpur and Prayagraj civic authorities, said due process was followed and notice in one instance of demolition was given way back in August 2020.
Mehta said none of the affected parties were before the court. Instead, a body of clerics and scholars, the Jamiat Ulema- i-Hind, has approached the court seeking a generic order against demolitions. The Jamiat contended that the demolitions happened after sharp statements by the highest constitutional authorities, including the UP chief minister, without giving any opportunity to the accused to vacate their houses. In a statement on Monday, the Jamiat said the SC had ordered a stay on punitive demolitions in Northwest Delhi under similar circumstances.