Letter to the Readers, Mainstream, April 5, 2025

On April 1, 2025, the Supreme Court of India blasted the Prayagraj Development Authority for the illegal demolition of the homes of citizens and for not following due process. This time, the court ordered compensation for each home that was demolished. Over zealous officials who carried out these actions are looking for reward & recognition from a strongman who has promoted the idea, supposedly to check encroachments; The hardline Chief minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP), Swami Adityanath, is out to project a reputation as the man who can bulldoze his way and test the limits of the system. We may be headed towards a constitutional crisis if open defiance of court rulings is not restricted. All manner of directives from courts are being defied and ignored. The Apex court should consider punitive action against high officials, administrators and also the UP government for contempt of court and for non-implementation of court rulings.

April 5, 2025—HK