KOLKATA: Thousands of Muslims marched in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata on Tuesday in a second week of protests, while six prominent former judges said a state government had acted illegally by demolishing the house of a Muslim activist.

       Muslims have taken to the streets across India to protest against anti-Islamic comments made by two members of the Bharatiya Janata Party.Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, a BJP hardliner, ordered the weekend demolition of any illegal buildings of people accused of involvement in riots last week, including the home of activist Mohammad Javed.

       In a letter addressed to the chief justice, six former judges and six senior lawyers on Tuesday condemned the state’s action in destroying Javed’s house.

       The former judges and lawyers urged the Supreme Court to take action to “arrest the deteriorating law and order situation” in Uttar Pradesh.

       “The coordinated manner in which the police and development authorities have acted lead to the clear conclusion that demolitions are a form of collective extra-judicial punishment, attributable to a state policy which is illegal,” they wrote.

       Authorities were “selectively and viciously cracking down on Muslims who dare to speak up... against the discrimination faced by them,” Amnesty’s Aakar Patel said in a statement.

       Amnesty slams crackdown

       India must immediately end a “vicious” crackdown on Muslims who took to the streets to protest a ruling party official’s remarks about the Holy Prophet (PBUH), Amnesty International said on Tuesday.

       “Cracking down on protesters with excessive use of force, arbitrary detention and punitive house demolitions... is in complete violation of India’s commitments under international human rights law.”

       Published in Dawn,June 15th, 2022