Viral video of girl, 8, running with books during demolition sparks outrage in UP

A video of an eight-year-old girl clutching her books and running away from her shanty during an anti-encroachment drive in Ambedkar Nagar's Jalalpur area, has sparked widespread outrage.

The footage, which surfaced on social media, showed an earthmover revving nearby, drawing sharp criticism from opposition parties.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav condemned the demolition, calling it an example of the state's deteriorating condition.

On Monday, he posted on X, "Eight years, UP ruined, and only questions remain."

He also shared an AI-generated image of a girl holding books while a bulldozer loomed in the background, an apparent reference to the Ambedkar Nagar demolition.

On Monday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a press conference on the development works done by his government since it came to power eight years ago.

A day earlier, the Samajwadi Party chief had posted another message, stating, "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)!"

Yadav was apparently referring to a plot of land owned by a controversial IAS officer, right opposite to the demolished shanties in Ambedkar Nagar.

The Uttar Pradesh Congress also shared the video on X on Saturday.

"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 wrote.

Meanwhile, the Ambedkar Nagar Police defended the demolition.

"This action was taken to remove encroachment from the 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. The demolition was carried out in full compliance with the revenue court's order to reclaim government land," they said.

Purported records show that the district administration has been addressing the encroachment issue for months.

In an order dated October 15, 2024, Jalalpur's sub-divisional magistrate directed the tehsildar to ensure compliance with a previous ruling. The order referenced a decision from October 10, 2024, under Section 67 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006, which mandated the eviction of a person named Ram Milan from the disputed land (parcel number 888/0.006 hectares) in the village of Arai.

The encroacher was also fined Rs 1,980 as compensation and Rs 800 as execution charges. The magistrate's order instructed officials to enforce the ruling within a week.