Muslim families forced out of homes after Hindutva pressure in Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow: A Hindutva outfit has launched a campaign against Muslim families who recently purchased homes in a Hindu-majority locality in the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh state, accusing them, without evidence, of attempting to change the area’s demographic composition.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the controversy erupted after Muslim families purchased at least six houses in Janakpuri colony of Muzaffarnagar district.
Members of the Hindu Sangharsh Samiti gathered outside the homes, read the Hanuman Chalisa, a Hindu devotional hymn, and demanded that the families vacated the locality, insisting that Muslims should not settle in predominantly Hindu neighbourhoods.
Following the protests, district authorities inspected the properties and calimed that some of the houses had originally been allotted under Indian government’s affordable housing scheme for low-income families. Subsequently, officials evicted two Muslim families, sealed the houses and placed government locks on the premises.
The affected families said they had purchased the properties legally and in good faith, were never informed that the houses were linked to the government housing scheme. They said they were evicted without prior notice, leaving them homeless.
Leaders of the Hindu Sangharsh Samiti alleged, without presenting any evidence, that Muslims were deliberately purchasing homes in Hindu-majority areas as part of a conspiracy to alter the area’s demographic character of the locality. Referring to the families as “jihadis”, they further claimed that outside funding was being used to encourage Hindus to leave the area.
The outfit’s convener, Narendra Pawar, announced that its supporters would gather every Tuesday evening to read the Hanuman Chalisa outside the locality until the Muslim families left. He also called on the authorities to identify people allegedly trying to “change the demographic character” of the city and take strict action against them.
The incident is the latest in a series of campaigns by Hindutva organisations aimed at preventing Muslims from purchasing property or settling in Hindu-majority localities across India.
Human rights groups say such campaigns have deepened residential segregation and institutional discrimination against Muslims, who continue to face growing restrictions in access to housing, alongside increasing attacks on mosques, businesses and other aspects of public life under the BJP government’s Hindutva-driven policies.
