The bulldozer is no longer just a machine in Gujarat it is now the state’s answer to decades of illegal Islamist encroachments, narco-funded settlements, and religious land grabbing. In a relentless series of anti-encroachment drives spanning Junagadh, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar and Kutch, the Gujarat BJP government has recovered land worth over Rs 100 crore, razed more than 250 illegal structures.
Despite political provocation, social media misinformation, and threats of unrest, the state administration, backed by a massive security apparatus, pressed ahead with the largest coordinated bulldozer operations in recent years.
In Junagadh’s historic Uparkot area, bulldozers rolled in with clockwork precision on April 30, demolishing 59 illegal structures spread over 14,000 square metres of prime land. The operation was conducted under the leadership of Collector Anil Ranavasiya, who confirmed that encroachers were repeatedly issued notices, but none could present valid documents.
Most shockingly, several of the razed structures were linked to narcotics offenders and bootleggers, a fact that exposes how illegal drug economies often thrive under the shelter of encroachments and religious-political protection.
Over 400 police personnel, 10 JCB machines, fire brigades, and electricity teams formed part of the tactical operation that lasted several hours. The area cleared is valued at Rs 50 crore, according to government estimates.
This drive follows an earlier operation in March 2024, where a controversial Dargah near Majewadi Gate, which had been illegally constructed over two decades ago, was bulldozed in a midnight operation.
That Dargah had become a hub of confrontation in 2023 when local Muslims, after receiving notice of encroachment removal, resorted to violent riots. A police team attempting to maintain peace was brutally attacked, and one innocent Hindu civilian was killed in the stone-pelting and arson that followed. Mob chants of “Allahu Akbar” during the violence only added to the communal polarisation.
In the heart of Ahmedabad, the state’s bulldozer justice continued with the clearing of over 100 illegal structures near Chandola Lake allegedly inhabited by illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators. The Ahmedabad Crime Branch, led by Police Commissioner Sharad Singhal, had already profiled and identified the occupants before snapping electricity and water connections.
On April 29, eighty bulldozers moved in with precision, supported by drones, local police, and surveillance units. The action not only cleared encroachments but disrupted a parallel illegal settlement economy that had been building up quietly in urban pockets. A second phase of this operation is planned in the coming days, according to sources.
The anti-encroachment fire also spread to Khavda in Kutch, where three unauthorised madrassas allegedly constructed on public land without permits were razed. This action was taken in line with concerns raised about the radicalisation of youth and illegal funding of institutions with no regulatory oversight.
Meanwhile, in Jamnagar, the administration demolished two massive bungalows illegally built by notorious criminal Razzaq Saicha and his brother, both known for their history of violence, extortion, and encroachment. This action followed intelligence inputs linking their properties to illicit income sources and criminal intimidation of local officials.
The Saicha brothers had built a mini fortress in the heart of the city. Now, it lies in ruins, with law finally catching up to what had been long deemed “untouchable.”
