Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh’s “bulldozer justice” has significantly boosted Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s popularity, but it’s also increasingly becoming a source of trouble for his government.
On Wednesday, a fresh controversy broke out in Moradabad after Chetan Saini, a local businessman and the elder brother of BJP mandal vice-president Gajendra Singh, died by suicide hours after his shop was demolished during an anti-encroachment drive.
ThePrint has learnt from police sources that Saini jumped from the roof of his house early Wednesday morning, following the anti-encroachment drive in the Mandi Samiti premises in Moradabad the previous night.
According to his family, Chetan was under stress after his fruit shop was demolished during the drive. The shop, which had been running for over 20 years under his father’s name, was located in the Agricultural Production Mandi Samiti area of Majhola. Saini and his brother used to run a fruit business there.
Upset by the action, he later posted an emotional message on social media, saying: “The administration attacked Moradabad Mandi, ruined it, ruined everything. Who is responsible for this, you tell me.”
The situation reportedly escalated after an earlier incident on Monday, when local BJP MLA Ritesh Gupta and his supporters allegedly assaulted Mandi Secretary Sanjeev Kumar.
In response, the district administration launched a strict anti-encroachment campaign on Tuesday, clearing over 100 shops and removing tin sheds and unauthorised structures during a five-hour drive in the presence of a heavy police force.
Police reached the scene after being informed. SP City Kumar Ranvijay Singh told the media that an investigation was underway to determine the exact reason behind the suicide.
Following the incident, tensions flared in the area. A small protest broke out on Wednesday, with some traders and commission agents briefly detained but later released.
The traders alleged that the anti-encroachment drive was carried out without prior notice, causing damage to their goods and impacting their livelihood.
The Moradabad Superintendent of Police’s office told the media that Saini’s family had filed a complaint, but no action had been taken yet.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak visited Moradabad and met the family at the post-mortem house. He assured them that those responsible would not be spared and strict action would be taken. He also blamed the officials for acting on their own and said such behaviour would not be tolerated.
According to sources in the UP BJP, Saini’s brother has been associated with the party for the last 15 years. Saini is a supporter but has never held any party post.
The opposition seized upon the issue. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav posted a news clip of a suicide report on his X handle, saying “BJP kisi ki Sagi nahi hai” (BJP is with no one).”
The Supreme Court has come down heavily multiple times on the use of “bulldozer justice” as a form of extrajudicial punishment without due process. But such drives have continued in Uttar Pradesh.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)