Hindutva protests: Muslim prayer room razed in Mumbai mall

Mumbai: A Muslim prayer room at Inorbit Mall in Malad was demolished following protests by Hindutva groups, which launched a campaign against the facility after a video showing the space went viral on social media, Matoob reported.

The controversy erupted after two hijab-clad girls posted a video giving viewers a tour of the prayer room and urging Muslims to observe their daily prayers. They highlighted its separate sections for men and women, as well as a designated ablution area.

The video triggered a hate campaign by right-wing individuals and organisations, who questioned the presence of a Muslim prayer facility inside a shopping mall. Some social media accounts portrayed it as an attempt to turn Mumbai into Pakistan.

On October 30, Hindutva organisation Sakal Hindu Samaj circulated the video on X, raising objections to the provision of a dedicated space for namaz in a commercial establishment frequented by people of different religious communities. The group subsequently organised a protest demanding its removal.

A day later, the organisation posted another video claiming to show the prayer room before and after its demolition. The footage appeared to show damaged floor tiles and dismantled sections of the facility.

The incident adds to a series of objections targeting Muslim places of worship and prayer facilities across India.

In another recent development in Mumbai, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya campaigned for the removal of a mosque near Terminal 2 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, alleging that it was an unauthorised structure posing a security concern.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) subsequently declared the structure unauthorised and directed the airport operator to remove it.