Uttar Pradesh, March 24 — A video showing an eight-year-old girl clutching her books and running from her shanty during an anti-encroachment drive in Ambedkar Nagar’s Jalalpur area has triggered widespread outrage. The footage, which surfaced on social media, shows an earthmover revving nearby, drawing sharp criticism from opposition leaders.
Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav condemned the demolition, calling it a reflection of the state’s deteriorating condition. “Eight years, UP ruined, and only questions remain,” he posted on X on Monday. Yadav also shared an AI-generated image of a girl holding books as a bulldozer loomed behind her, referencing the Ambedkar Nagar incident.
A day earlier, Yadav accused the state government of using demolitions as a display of power. “In Ambedkar Nagar, a government official is demolishing people’s homes to assert his authority, forcing a young girl to run to save her books. These are the same BJP leaders who say Beti Bachao, Beti Padao (Save the daughter, educate the daughter)!” he wrote.
The Uttar Pradesh Congress also slammed the government, sharing the video on X. “From the shanty being razed by the bulldozer, a little girl saved her most precious possession — books! This video is a disgrace to those in power who snatch books from children’s hands and the roof over their heads,” it said.
Meanwhile, the Ambedkar Nagar Police defended the demolition, claiming it was conducted in accordance with a court order. “This action was taken to remove encroachment from village land, following an ejection order (case number T202404040205504) passed by the Jalalpur tehsildar’s court. Multiple notices were issued before clearing the non-residential structures,” police said, adding that the drive fully complied with the revenue court’s directive to reclaim government land.
Records show the district administration had been addressing the encroachment issue for months.
An order dated October 15, 2024, from Jalalpur’s sub-divisional magistrate directed the tehsildar to enforce a previous ruling. The order cited an October 10 decision under Section 67 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006, mandating the eviction of Ram Milan from the disputed land (parcel number 888/0.006 hectares) in Arai village.
The encroacher was also fined Rs 1,980 as compensation and Rs 800 as execution charges. The magistrate instructed officials to carry out the eviction within a week.
The controversy surfaced as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a press conference on Monday, listing his government’s development work over the past eight years.
