AHMEDABAD: In a massive demolition drive, allegedly targeting illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the Muslim-majority area of Chandola Lake in Ahmedabad, civic authorities have so far razed 2000 huts and cleared around one lakh square metres of land. The authorities claimed that the houses belonged to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Late on the night of 28 April, a police convoy, accompanied by an Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) team and 50 JCB machines, reached the site. Demolition work began at 7 a.m. the next morning.The AMC first razed around 150 illegal embankments at the farmhouse of Lalla Bihari, who is known for his involvement in illicit activities.Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home Affairs, Harsh Sanghvi, said, “The area near Chandola Lake, where four illegal Bangladeshis associated with Al-Qaeda were caught, has been demolished. This area also saw the highest drug seizures and was a hub for illegal activities. Many illegal Bangladeshis have been arrested from here. We are committed to securing every inch of state government land by clearing it. Over 1.25 lakh square metres of land had been encroached upon by illegal Bangladeshis.”More than 6500 people, mostly Muslims, were detained from the area on Tuesday and were accused of being illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. However, only 489 out of the detained have been confirmed by the authorities as lacking valid documents to prove Indian citizenship.
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