Despite being overseen by monarchs, Al-Jazeera, a Qatari state-owned media outlet, provides insights into India’s democratic values. In 2022, when Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup, it stands accused of demolishing hundreds of slums and mistreating impoverished foreign laborers, tragically resulting in their deaths. Nevertheless, Al-Jazeera assumes the role of a lecturer to India on matters of human rights. The proprietors of Al-Jazeera openly endorse the harassment of Israeli football fans, all while attempting to impart lessons of tolerance to India. It’s important to note that Qatar is a nation where personal freedoms are severely restricted, as they detain individuals based on their sexual orientation. And this glaring hypocrisy is not lost on anyone at a time an Al-Jazeera journalist criticizes India for alleged limitations on freedom of speech and expression.
Today, we shift our focus to a recent report from a media organization with a known anti-Hindu and pro-Jihad bias. Al-Jazeera has claimed that authorities are demolishing homes in Mathura based on the religious identity of their occupants, suggesting that Muslims are the target. The report states, “The authorities have destroyed our home and belongings.” Certain Mathura residents believe that the authorities are demolishing their homes due to their Muslim faith.
The video report asserts that the Central government has conducted a nationwide demolition of Muslim homes, implying a widespread trend throughout the country. However, it’s crucial to note that the report predominantly features the perspective of the affected homeowners while largely omitting the viewpoints of government authorities and law enforcement agencies. The report vividly showcases scenes of bulldozers and debris, with families sharing their tales of hardship and distress.
Since 2014, liberal and Islamist media outlets worldwide have consistently promoted a narrative that portrays Muslim minorities as being in danger under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. This narrative has been repeated so frequently that even some individuals who are sitting on the fence have started to embrace it, regardless of the accuracy of these assertions. It underscores the principle articulated by Goebbels: repeat a lie often enough and people will believe it. Nevertheless, at OFI, we remain impervious to such unsubstantiated narratives. Our commitment to fact-checking has led us to scrutinize Al-Jazeera on multiple occasions, and this instance will be no exception. Let’s proceed with our examination.
Fact Check
Upon a closer examination of the news report regarding the demolition in Mathura, it has come to our attention that the demolition operation was carried out by the Indian railways. The context reveals that these demolitions primarily targeted illegal settlements located near the railway lines in Mathura, undertaken for developmental reasons rather than religious considerations. Consequently, the issue at hand revolves around property disputes, with many illegal settlers encroaching upon railway land. However, Al-Jazeera, known for its sympathetic stance toward jihadi ideologies, chose to downplay this critical context and instead portrayed it through the lens of religious minority victimization.
According to India Today from 10th August 2023, “ The said houses were illegally constructed on both sides of the track in between Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi and Amar Nath School, Mathura over a period of five decades.”
While speaking to India Today Nitin Garg, the divisional chief engineer of DRM office Agra SAID, “60 houses have so far been demolished while demolition notice was given to 135 houses.” He added, “Notices were served in the same time frame for vacating railway land, adding it, thrice, did not make any impact on the encroachers.”
Contrarily, the divisional chief engineer has refuted any pending legal disputes in court regarding the demolition. Notably, the demolition operations were temporarily halted following requests from the majority of homeowners. Prior to this, a group of women had attempted to obstruct the work, but they eventually withdrew their resistance in the face of substantial force, including local police, PAC, RPF, and GRP personnel.
The representative of MP Hema Malini, Janardan Sharma informed India Today about the developmental work. He said The land clearance is taking place to facilitate the conversion of a 12-kilometer meter gauge railway into a broad gauge, as part of a comprehensive plan that involves establishing five stations along the route and improving the infrastructure to accommodate high-speed trains.’ This initiative aligns with the vision of Mathura’s Member of Parliament, Hema Malini, who envisions improved connectivity for pilgrims, enabling them to travel to Vrindavan seamlessly without the need to change trains at Mathura Junction Railway Station.’
After the initial demolition, the encroacher side knocked on the door of the court. Times of India reported on 17 August, ‘The Supreme Court of India has issued a stay order on the railway’s demolition drive aimed at clearing encroachments near the Krishna Janmasthan in Mathura. The court has further directed that the existing state of affairs should be maintained for a period of ten days.’
However, after 10 days, the Supreme Court in a major lifted a stay on the demolition drive. The Hindu reported on 25 August that, Squatters cannot claim the right to public space, says the Supreme Court.
The report further added, ‘On August 25, the Supreme Court declined to extend its temporary stay order concerning a demolition operation aimed at removing trespassers and encroachments on railway property in Nai Basti, located near Krishnajanmasthan in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. A panel of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M. Trivedi asserted that individuals occupying public land cannot assert a right to continue squatting there. At most, they can request additional time to vacate the public land and potentially apply for rehabilitation.’
In summarizing the sequence of events from all three reports, a concerted effort by Al-Jazeera to capture global attention and evoke sentiments among Muslims worldwide becomes evident. It commenced with the Indian railway’s initiation of a demolition operation targeting encroachments on their property. Subsequently, one week later, the Supreme Court of India imposed a temporary stay order on the demolition drive. However, after another week, the Supreme Court unequivocally rejected the plea to halt the demolition, asserting that encroachers have no legal claim to reside on public property.
It becomes clear that the Indian Railways, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), or Prime Minister Modi did not dismantle people’s rightful homes, but rather initiated the removal of encroachments to facilitate developmental projects. Al-Jazeera, in contrast, published a misleading report designed to evoke sympathy and divert public opinion away from the facts. This is not the first instance of the Qatar-based media agency attempting to interfere in Indian politics by disseminating false information. The Indian government should take measures to curb such practices in the name of freedom of speech and expression.
| Claim | Modi government demolished the houses of Muslims in Mathura |
| Claimed by | Al-Jazeera |
| Fact check | Misleading |
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