Muzaffarnagar: Hindutva workers allegedly opposed a Muslim man from buying a house in the predominantly Hindu locality of Gaushala Pashmi in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district.
Ali Hasan had recently bought the property and claimed that groups of extremists have since been visiting his house, coercing him to leave the locality.
“In the recent past on different occasions a group of individuals, four to five known and 15-20 unknown individuals came to my house and forcefully asked us to leave the place and threatened us with dire consequences,” Hasan told The Hindu.
The workers reportedly accused the Muslim man and his family of ‘house jihad,’ a term used in Hindutva narratives that alleges Muslims deliberately attempt to settle in Hindu-majority areas.
The group reportedly held demonstrations and put up posters announcing meetings in the area to mobilise residents in building pressure against Hasan and his family.
“They wrongly claimed the house purchase an instance of ‘house jihad’ and said there is no need of Muslim people in a Hindu locality. They also put up posters of continuous meeting in the locality to build pressure on us and held demonstrations against us,” he said.
Both parties had filed complaints at the Kotwali police station, accusing each other of creating a nuisance and threatening.
When contacted, the Kotwali police station inspector told Siasat.com that there was no communal angle to the incident.
“Aisa kuch toh nai hua. Woh bas chahre the ki Hindu log rahe toh acha hoga (Nothing like that happened. They (the locals) just thought it would be better if Hindus lived in the locality),” the inspector said.
The locals never “pressurised” Hasan, the police said, adding that he continues to live in the locality.
The situation is under control now, he added.
