Ludhiana, Sept. 24 -- The panchayat of Katani Kalan village in Machhiwara has directed residents to get their premises evicted from tenants whose Aadhaar cards don't mention Punjab residence by October 15. The gram sabha meeting was led by sarpanch Manjit Singh in the wake of the recent murder of a five-year-old boy in Hoshiarpur.

The panchayat said only those with a Punjab Aadhaar card be allowed to rent houses or shops in the village, effectively excluding tenants from other states, regardless of their legal rights. "This is a blatant attempt to single out migrant communities," said one resident, requesting anonymity. Critics argue that such resolutions could fuel social divisions and violate constitutional protections for citizens and...