Bhopal: Authorities in Madhya Pradesh demolished the houses of 15 people allegedly built on government land, claiming it was part of a crackdown on cow slaughter and the illegal beef trade in the state.
The crackdown occurred over the past two days in two districts of Madhya Pradesh—11 houses were razed down in the tribal-dominated Mandla district in the east, bordering Chhattisgarh, and five in the communally sensitive Ratlam district in the west, neighbouring Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The crackdown comes ahead of the Eid-Ul-Adha (festival of sacrifice) on Sunday and Monday. Five Muslim men from both districts have been arrested in connection with the case and 10 other individuals are on the run. The local administration also demolished what it claimed to be the “illegally built” houses of the 15 accused.
The first of the two major crackdowns took place in the Bhainswahi village of Mandla district on Saturday. The village is home to around 25 minority community families and is linked to alleged incidents of cow slaughter over the past four years.
This story was originally published in newindianexpress.com. Read the full story here.
