New Delhi: On Monday (August 19), residents of a predominantly Hindu locality in Bareilly, Punjab Pura, locally known as Vakeelon Waali Gali, protested after a Muslim woman purchased a house in the area. The protest erupted after Vishal Saxena, a prior inhabitant of the locality, sold his house to Shabnam, a Muslim woman, who is now residing in the property.
Protestors at the locality, home to many of the town’s lawyers, demanded annulment of the property’s registration. Some of the Hindu residents of Punjab Pura threatened a mass exodus if their demands were not complied with. Additionally, locals also put up posters declaring “samuhik palaayan” (‘mass exodus’) on the doors of their houses.
Speaking to local media, Arvind Srivastava, ex-secretary of the Bar Association of Bareilly, claimed that the purchase deal involves an Assamese maulana who is engaged in the illegal possession of a local mosque.
“Our prime minister and chief minister have said that Bangladeshis and Assamese shall not step forward,” he said. “Who will be responsible for the ‘love jihad’ that this may lead to?” Srivastava asked.
‘Love jihad’ is the term used by Hindu communal organisations to describe an imaginary Muslim conspiracy to seduce Hindu women as part of a plot to reduce Hindus in India to a minority.
Some Hindu women in the neighbourhood said that if “Mohammedans” enter their area, it will be difficult for them to even sit outside.
“We sit here till 1 am, … but since they [Muslims] have come, they run errands in the area and talk on the phone while walking around,” a Hindu woman said to a local reporter.
“They [Muslims] eat meat while we strictly follow the satvik nature of life,” said another female resident.
“We have been living here since childhood and if they [Muslims] start coming here, our children’s future will be disturbed,” a lady added, claiming that Muslims have the habit of interfering in their (i.e. Hindus’) religious practices and festivals.
One poster outside a home in the area threatening a ‘mass exodus’, as reported by The Leader Hindi media outlet. Photo: Screenshot from its YouTube channel.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Naseem Bashiri, Shabnam’s brother, who sells flowers at a nearby dargah, spoke to the local media of his disappointment with the residents.
“Had they informed us before, we would have left the house for them to buy,” he said, stating that he had no ill motive and was looking for a resolution. He said that he had stated the same when called by the inspector of the local Qila police station.
Some residents claim that the locality is home to an ‘educated class of citizens’ and that they detest both the idea of a flower-seller moving into the area as well as the “kind of people that will start coming” to the neighbourhood.
When reached by The Wire, Naseem Bashiri said that Saxena, the seller of the house, went to the district magistrate’s office on Tuesday and said he was prepared to sell the house to whoever wanted it. He said he would pay back the current buyers if somebody from the locality wished to purchase the property.
Asked by The Wire about what he felt about allegations by local residents that he was the “mastermind” of the 2010 riots in Bareilly, Naseem Bashiri said that he had been selling flowers for more than a generation and that the local police station knew all about him.
Asked if his customers included Hindu residents, he said, “Yes, many of them came in the morning to buy flowers for ritual use.”
The Wire tried to contact Saxena but he did not respond. This report shall be updated if any response is received.
