Protest erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad on Tuesday, December 3, after a house in the TDI City, a residential society mainly occupied by Hindus, was sold to Muslim couple Dr Yusuf Malik and Dr Iqra Chaudhry.
The outrage sparked in the locality after a Hindu doctor, Dr Ashok Bajaj, reportedly conducted the sale. The residents claimed they fear demographic changes and potential shifts in the community’s character.
Protesters claim
While speaking to reporters, the protesters, primarily women expressed their anger and stated, “We have a sanatani culture in our colony. We won’t allow people from another community to live here.”
They claimed that the sale was against the social fabric of their neighbourhood as there have been no Muslim families in the past. They accused Dr Bajaj of betrayal and violation of their privacy rights and that the sale, which was undertaken without their knowledge endangers their existence.
Several said they feared that once one Muslim family occupied a house, “others would come and force Hindus to abandon their homes”.
Residents mounted a demonstration at the colony gate holding banners ‘Dr Ashok Bajaj Apna Makan Wapas lo’ (take your house back).
Demands
The protests included calls for the revocation of the property registration of the Muslim doctor.
District Magistrate Anuj Kumar Singh stated that they are aware of such complaints and efforts are made to avoid confrontation and work towards a peaceful resolution.
Recent similar incidents
This incident is reminiscent of previous protests in the state where residents similarly opposed the arrival of Muslim families into their neighbourhoods.
In August, Hindus of Vakeelo Wali Gali, a residential area in Bareilly’s Punjab Pura area protested against a Muslim family who had purchased a house in their locality.
In this case, the Muslim family was not welcomed and demanded an immediate annulment of the property’s registration. They even threatened a mass exodus if their demand was not met.
In September, right-wing groups and local Hindu residents staged a protest against Nadeem, a Muslim advocate who had purchased a house in a Hindu-dominated area.
Subsequently, Ashok Bharti, a member of the Valmiki community who sold the property to Nadeem, released a video statement and addressed the allegations. Bharti claimed that no one was willing to buy the house because of derogatory remarks about his neighbourhood which belonged to a lower caste, which hindered his ability to pay off the bank loan.
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