WOODBRIDGE, NJ — At the most recent Woodbridge town council meeting, Fourth Ward Councilman Virbhadra Patel, who is Indian-American, condemned the use of a bulldozer in the Aug. 13 Edison Indian parade.

The parade was organized by the Indian Business Association (IBA), which consists of many businesses located in Woodbridge and Edison.

The bulldozer has become a symbol of Indian nationalism; many say the Indian government uses “bulldozer justice” to demolish property and homes owned by Indian Muslims , particularly those who are critical of the Hindu-majority government.

Before he spoke, several audience members asked Patel if he would be condemning the bulldozer.

"I was at the parade with the Mayor and other Council members," replied Patel. "The bulldozer was in the front or middle of the parade and by the time it was there, I had left. I don't know much about the bulldozer or Indian politics. I came here when I was 19 years old; I've been here for 42 years. I don't follow Indian politics, but I think whatever they did, it was very deplorable. I strongly condemn this myself."

"I do associate with them," continued Patel, referring to the Indian Business Association. "But right now, their leadership is not present. But when they respond, I am going to sit down with them and say this will not be repeated. That's my stance."

Patel's statement was met with claps from the audience in Woodbridge Council chambers.

The bulldozer was at the front of the parade, carrying large photos of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. It is specifically Adityanath who has used the bulldozer in recent years to raze Muslim-owned homes; in India, he is nicknamed by supporters as "Baba bulldozer," or "Father bulldozer."

However, some in India who support Adityanath say the bulldozers are his way of fighting back against the "land mafia" that were very powerful in India, particularly the region of Uttar Pradesh, before he was elected. In this op-ed, one of his supporters wrote that Muslim homes are not targeted and that out of all the homes razed, only 19 percent are owned by Muslims.

On Tuesday of this week, the IBA apologized for the bulldozer. Their apology comes nearly three weeks after the Aug. 13 parade and was released after Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac asked them to apologize, according to the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ).

"It's disappointing that the apology took so long; it should have been sooner," said CAIR-NJ director Selaedin Maksut on Friday. "Our coalition worked hand in hand with Mayor McCormac to get this apology and have this apology be made public. We thank and applaud the mayor."

At the Council meeting, McCormac was asked if he too condemned the bulldozer and he refused to do so, saying he needed to "hear from all sides." He told Patch he will be issuing a statement on the bulldozer controversy "next week."

In a letter addressed to the mayors of Edison and Woodbridge, the IBA wrote:

“Unfortunately there was a bulldozer among the floats in the parade, which is a divisive image that did not reflect our mission. It was seen quite negatively by many who are deeply impacted and insulted by certain activities that have been happening in India. Many who participated in or watched the parade or heard about the activities from social media accounts were offended by this symbol and by comments made by our guest speakers and that was not our intention."

CAIR-NJ acknowledged the apology the same day it was released, Tuesday of this week.

“We recognize IBA’S apology acknowledges its own wrongdoing,” said CAIR in a formal statement. “Such hateful symbols have no place on our streets. Mayor McCormac expressed desire to establish an advisory committee with the objective to ensure that the IBA’s stated commitment is maintained."

With reporting from Sarah Salvadore/Edison-Metuchen Patch reporter

Related: Organizers Apologize For Including Bulldozer In Edison Parade (Sept. 1)

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