Amnesty International has called on the Indian authorities to stop the discriminatory policy of demolishing Muslim properties and mosques arbitrarily and punitively.
Aakar Patel, the chair of the board of Amnesty International India, said in a press statement: “The unlawful actions taken against people suspected of committing violence, without notice or other due process, are a major blow to the rule of law in India.”
Patel’s statement came in response to reports of demolitions targeting Muslim properties and mosques, two days after communal violence incited by participants in a large Hindu rally in Mumbai, India’s financial capital.
The Amnesty International’s official called on the Indian authorities to “immediately stop this policy of using demolition drives as a pretext to target Muslims and put in place safeguards against forced evictions, as set out in international human rights standards.”
Amnesty International drew attention to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which India is a party, which prohibits forced evictions and requires adequate compensation to be provided to all affected persons without discrimination, ensuring effective remedies for victims and holding those responsible accountable.
The organization urged the Indian authorities to “bring those responsible for inciting violence and destruction to justice promptly through fair trials,” noting that “it is the state’s duty to protect all persons under its jurisdiction, including minorities.”
