– Arshad Shaikh
Indian Muslims have had to encounter manufactured hate and vitriolic propaganda against their existence and even their religion since pre-Independence days in their own country by their own fellow citizens. A meta-narrative was created by peddling false narratives about their origins, hygiene, dietary habits, personal laws and even their alleged non-practice of the national policy on family planning. However, since the last decade, these narratives have been polished and designed by professionals paid to create acerbic terms and slurs against the Muslim community.
Accusations have been suffixed with the word jihad and Muslims have been blamed for conducting different kinds of jihad like love jihad, vote jihad, land jihad, corona jihad, etc. One such baseless claim was made by Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Sanjay Nirupam that Muslims are engaging in so-called “housing jihad” in Mumbai.
Do we have to take such accusations seriously? What is his motivation behind framing this narrative? What does the law say and what is the duty of those in power, if such claims are made by a high-profile politician belonging to a party that is part of the state government? How should the Muslim community respond to it and what can they do to prepare themselves to counter such incessant “Islamophobia”?
Allegations
The term “housing jihad” emerged prominently in 2025 when Sanjay Nirupam claimed that Muslim builders in Mumbai’s Jogeshwari and Oshiwara areas were systematically allotting redeveloped slum housing units, originally occupied by Hindus, to Muslims. To buttress his claim, Nirupam gave the example of two projects – Paradise Zone and the Shri Shankar Slum Redevelopment Scheme. In the former, the number of houses allegedly increased from 44 to 95, with the additional 51 units purportedly allotted to Muslims. In the latter, 67 units reportedly grew to 123, with new units allegedly sold exclusively to Muslims.
Nirupam further claimed that a Muslim builder allocated 30 houses to his children. Also, Hindu religious sites, such as a Ganesh temple and Devi mandap, were replaced by a madrasa. He framed these actions as a deliberate attempt to transform Hindu-majority neighbourhoods into Muslim-majority ones. In other words, he wanted to warn the people that Mumbai’s demographic and cultural balance was at risk.
Lack of Credible Evidence
An allegation merits serious consideration if it is backed by evidence. Nirupam’s claims lack credible evidence. He references a preliminary report from the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA). However, he fails to provide any official report to corroborate his assertions.
The SRA is responsible for overseeing slum redevelopment in Mumbai. It operates under strict guidelines. The main process is that only residents with valid and verified documents like ration cards and electricity bills qualify for redeveloped housing. Eligibility is not determined by religion. What counts is residency and documentation. The entire selection/awarding housing unit process is supervised by state authorities, including the Maharashtra Housing Department led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, a member of Nirupam’s own party.
Nirupam’s assertion that 10% of Mumbai’s 600 SRA projects are handled by Muslim builders and Mumbai is being swept under “housing jihad” is a sweeping generalisation. It is not backed by credible data and the two specific cases mentioned themselves lack verified documentation. Even if additional units were created or misallocated, it indicates administrative lapses or corruption.
Also, shouldn’t all government schemes reflect the demographic profile of the city? Mumbai has more than 20% Muslim population. Like all other builders, Muslim builders operate in a competitive market. Their first motive is profit, not religion. As Sohail Khandwani of the Khandwani Group stated, “People should look for a company that provides good construction, not the religion of the builder.”
Diversion from core issues
Why would Muslim builders reject Hindu applicants? Do they want to go against the law when they know that all their decisions would be on “public record”? Moreover, SRA data doesn’t support claims of religious discrimination. It is undeniable that there are organic demographic shifts driven by economic factors.
The claim that Hindu-majority areas are becoming Muslim-majority ignores this simple fact of life. For example, Muslims who often encounter economic marginalisation will always prefer to move from living in an unauthorised “jhuggi” towards an affordable redeveloped slum. This trend is quite visible in areas like Govandi. This doesn’t mean that Muslims are engaging in “housing jihad”.
The timing and tone of Nirupam’s allegations suggest political motives. His claim that Muslims voted en masse against him in the Dindoshi assembly election (2024) reveals a personal grudge. It appears that his baseless allegation is his style of punishing those who didn’t vote for him. Muslim leaders like former MLA, Advocate Waris Pathan say that by invoking “housing jihad,” Nirupam is trying to distract from pressing issues like unemployment, women’s welfare schemes, and infrastructure. Pyare Khan, Chairman of the Maharashtra State Minority Commission, called it an attempt to “malign the Muslim community for superficial publicity”.
Misuse of the Term “Jihad” and our Responsibility
The term “housing jihad” is a deliberate attempt to twist and misrepresent a sacred Islamic concept. Jihad means “struggle” or “utmost effort.” It encompasses personal and collective efforts to uphold faith and justice. The greater jihad (Jihad-e-Akbar) is the internal struggle against one’s own “nafs” (self / base desires). The lesser jihad (Jihad-e-Asghar) is what people mostly know as jihad i.e. warfare. But that too is strictly defensive and bound by ethical rules, such as protecting non-combatants (Quran 2:190).
Nowhere does Islam teach jihad related to housing, demographics, or property dealings. It is completely unjustified to link “jihad” with routine urban redevelopment. It has a deep-rooted agenda for creating hate and distrust regarding Islam and Muslims in the populace and is designed to create an “enemy within” for the consolidation of the majority vote bank.
Muslims must proactively try to engage the media to counter these allegations. We must write and challenge the media that amplify unverified claims. We must publish op-eds, leverage social media, and engage in public forums to present data-driven rebuttals. We should educate the public about jihad’s true meaning. We should explain that jihad is rooted in self-improvement and justice and it is not about conspiring to do harm. We should demand an official condemnation and rejection of Nirupam by the government and leaders of various political parties. We must also collaborate with interfaith groups to amplify the voices of unity.
