Hundreds of Muslim homes, two mosques razed in Mumbai; protests erupt, several injured
Mumbai: Authorities in India’s Maharashtra state demolished hundreds of homes and two mosques near Bandra railway station in Mumbai, triggering protests, heavy police action and injuries to several demonstrators in one of the city’s densely populated Muslim-majority areas.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the demolition campaign was launched under the pretext of an anti-encroachment drive, with more than 1,000 police personnel deployed to enforce the operation. Authorities said nearly 5,300 square meters of land would be cleared during the drive.
Residents and local Muslims strongly protested the demolitions, stating that authorities were using excessive force and targeting vulnerable low-income communities already facing housing insecurity in Mumbai. Over 300 houses and two mosques were bulldozed as residents clashed with the police. At least 10 people were injured after police resorted to baton charges to disperse the demonstrators. Police later conducted searches and raids in nearby neighborhoods to identify and arrest people who participated in protests.
Several videos related to the clash have gone viral on social media. The videos show police resorting to lathicharges on protesters, as well as kicking and driving away some injured persons whose clothes are stained with blood.
Residents said they have been living there for decades and have nowhere to go after their homes were demolished.
The Western Railway authority said around 18% of approximately 500 huts identified in the area had already been removed and the demolition campaign would continue through May 23.
Rajya Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain said he is deeply concerned by the visuals from Bandra, where police forces are seen assaulting civilians during the demolition drive. “The demolition drive has left thousands homeless ahead of the monsoon season, while the BJP government’s police machinery has unleashed brutal force against protesters, including elderly women and even injured persons already under restraint,” said Hussain.
Demolition operations described by authorities as “anti-encroachment drives” have become increasingly controversial across India in recent years, particularly when they affect Muslim neighborhoods, mosques and low-income settlements.
Rights advocates and housing activists have said that authorities in several Indian states, particularly those governed by BJP, are disproportionately targeting Muslims and other vulnerable communities under the guise of urban redevelopment and land-clearance policies.
