Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has declared that his government is bringing in a stringent law that permits auctioning the assets of stone-pelters to recover the damage that they have inflicted on a public property or individual, Indian Express reports.

Chouhan referred to stone-pelters are “enemies of the society” and asserted that it is crime that can end up in deaths, spread terror and chaos in addition to disrupting the law and order situation. “Till now, it (stone pelting) was considered a minor offence but we are bringing a law which will make the offenders pay,” the BJP leader said.

He added that such miscreants often resort to burning down shops and homes too. The new law will not only make punish them acutely but also ensure that their properties are auctioned off to reimburse the damage caused by them. The guilty will have to pay for the losses suffered by owners of vandalised private properties too.

Chouhan explained, “While people have a right to raise their issues peacefully in a democracy, no one has the liberty to damage public property. I have given instructions to formulate these laws and work on it has already started.”

This decision comes amid alleged attacks on rallies promoting a donation drive for the construction of the Ram Mandir in Muslim dominated areas in Ujjain, Indore and Mandsaur districts.