Bulldozers will roll: Bengal Minister warns of action against encroachment

The Yogi Adityanath brand of “bulldozer politics” has made its entry into West Bengal following the Bharatiya Janta Party's victory in the recently-concluded Assembly election.

Speaking to the media in Kharagpur, state minister Dilip Ghosh said that “bulldozers will roll across the state" wherever there is illegal construction.

Appealing to people to follow the law or face action, Ghosh, who was elected from Kharagpur Sadar, added, “The new government has initiated this process right from day one. We will not tolerate any form of encroachment on government land."

He also said that the government will extend full support to those who operate within the boundaries of the law.

His statement came hours after local authorities undertook a demolition drive amid heavy security near Howrah Railway Station area to remove illegal encroachments.

Days earlier, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation demolished an illegal structure housing a leather factory after a fire incident killed two people on May 12.

State minister Agnimitra Paul defended the action against illegally constructed units.

“If there is an illegal construction, we will send you a notice. But we will not allow you to operate if you do not have any documents to prove the legality of the structure," she said.

Bulldozer politics in West Bengal began even before the BJP formed its government on May 9. On May 6, a group of people, accompanied by bulldozers, reportedly targeted a Trinamool Congress office near the historic Hogg Market area, sparking panic among traders and forcing shops to shut abruptly.

While local residents claimed the structure was illegal, the TMC alleged that the demolition was driven by a “political vendetta.”

The term “bulldozer politics”, which gained prominence after Yogi Adityanath became Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 2017, refers to a government’s purportedly no-nonsense approach toward illegal constructions or law violations. Following UP, several BJP-ruled states have adopted similar measures, with West Bengal now appearing to follow suit.

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