India bulldozes buildings in Muslim-majority island territory

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Indian authorities have demolished private buildings under construction in the overwhelmingly Muslim island territory of Lakshadweep before a deadline for their owners to challenge the action had expired, triggering protests and accusations that India’s controversial use of bulldozers was reaching the remote archipelago.

Around four structures and their foundations were razed with heavy machinery on Agatti island on Monday, according to Maktoob Media.

The federally appointed Lakshadweep administration said the construction lacked required land-conversion permission, while affected owners said they had been given seven days to respond to notices and seek legal remedies.

The dispute has placed renewed focus on government control over land and development in Lakshadweep, India’s smallest federal territory.

Muslims constitute an overwhelming majority of the population in the territory where residents and opposition parties have repeatedly challenged policies introduced by the New Delhi-appointed administration.

The latest demolition also carries significance beyond the islands because bulldozers have become politically contentious across India.

Demolitions of homes and businesses, including properties belonging to Muslims following communal unrest or protests, have prompted allegations of collective punishment and eventually led India’s Supreme Court to establish nationwide procedural safeguards against arbitrary demolition.

In its landmark 2024 ruling, the Supreme Court said authorities could not demolish property merely because its owner or occupant was accused of an offense and required advance notice and an opportunity to challenge demolition orders, subject to specified exceptions. The court has continued to hear disputes alleging violations of those safeguards.

Opposition politicians in Lakshadweep have invoked that wider controversy over what is commonly called “bulldozer raj” in challenging the Agatti action.

NCP General Secretary O.P. Jabbar and Congress leader M.I. Dilshad were detained after reaching the demolition site to protest and were later released.

Jabbar alleged that although the notice was dated Sept. 10 and allowed seven days for a response, it was served only on Friday and demolition crews arrived Monday, before that period expired.

National Youth Congress Lakshadweep leader Junaid V.I. accused the administration of attempting to introduce “bulldozer raj” in Lakshadweep and alleged that the demolitions violated Supreme Court safeguards. Opposition leaders said they would challenge the action legally.

Lakshadweep is a chain of coral islands in the Arabian Sea, hundreds of kilometers off India’s southwestern coast. Only 10 islands are inhabited, and their overwhelmingly Muslim population has historically depended on fishing, coconut cultivation and, increasingly, tourism.

Political tensions in the territory intensified after Praful Khoda Patel, a politician from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, was appointed administrator in 2020.

A series of proposed regulations and administrative changes subsequently triggered protests, with critics arguing that policies devised under his administration threatened local autonomy, land rights and cultural practices.

The Agatti demolitions are also not isolated. Around 13 structures on the island, including a panchayat office, post office, warehouses and other public facilities, were demolished in 2025 amid plans for a city-center complex and other development projects.