New Delhi: Under attack from several quarters for using bulldozers to demolish properties of persons accused of rioting and other serious crimes – almost all of them Muslims, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has got support from the Central leadership of the BJP for his actions.

Endorsing the move to demolish properties of those “accused” of violence, the party’s in-charge for Madhya Pradesh, P. Murlidhar Rao, said on Thursday that Chouhan took action depending on the ground situation.

“Depending on the situation on the ground, Chief Minister Chouhan took the action. Wherever a bulldozer is required, he (Chouhan) is using it,” Rao said.

After the recent violence in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh over a procession taken out of Ram Navami, the local administration demolished more than 50 houses and shops using bulldozers besides arresting around 100 persons. According to reports, some of the homes demolished by the MP government officials are built by also using funds received under Prime Minister Awas Yojna.

Chouhan followed the ‘bulldozer’ style of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and tried to send a ‘strong message’ on the issue of law and order and his government’s tough stance against people involved in rioting.

“People have started calling Chouhan ‘bulldozer mama’, just like Adityanath is called ‘bulldozer baba’. The bulldozer is not demolishing properties of innocent people, it is only demolishing properties of rioters and criminals. Many in the BJP, including me, think that there is nothing wrong in the state government’s decision to use bulldozers against properties of anti-social elements,” a BJP functionary said.

The BJP leadership however is silent on why the same action is not taken against Hindus who reportedly pelted stones on a mosque and burnt properties belonging to Muslims.

Earlier, the Chouhan government had demolished properties of the accused persons in two separate criminal acts at Sheopur and Raisen districts.

A party insider said that bulldozers will be more visible in the coming days against those who are involved in heinous crimes, as the BJP is all set to make law and order a major issue in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled next year.