'Jeans Jihad’ surfaces, targeting Muslim-dominated garment industry in Delhi

After so many ‘jihads’ that have surfaced ever since the term ‘Love Jihad’ was propagated by right-wing Hindutva groups to target and often physically attack Muslims, now even jeans has been linked to ‘jihad’, reportedly targeting Muslim employers and employees involved in the garment-making industry in neighbourhoods of Delhi.

The bustling jeans stitching industry in Khyala, an urban village in West Delhi, has been thrown into disarray following allegations that Muslim workers from Uttar Pradesh were using the business to alter the area’s demography, according to a report by Scroll.in. For over two decades, this hub had drawn thousands of workers, with the business expanding rapidly and gaining recognition as an industrial area in 2021.

Initially, the industry thrived peacefully, as Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs found space in the flourishing trade, and wholesale markets began to emerge in neighbouring areas such as Raghubir Nagar and Vishnu Garden. However, the situation deteriorated during the summer of 2025 when a conspiracy theory began circulating that Muslims were engaging in a so-called “jeans jihad” to drive out Sikh and Hindu residents.

Scroll.in reports that Manjinder Singh Sirsa, BJP MLA and Delhi’s industries minister, amplified these accusations by suggesting that many Muslim workers were illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar, even though he offered no evidence to support his claims.

Sirsa’s rhetoric, while not explicitly using the term “jeans jihad,” reportedly intensified through social media where he associated residents’ grievances with communal overtones, targeting the predominantly Muslim workforce.

The sealing drive that began in June has since paralysed industrial activity in Khyala, with numerous factories shuttered under the claim of operating illegally.

According to the report, Sirsa has taken credit for the crackdown, framing it as a move to clear illegal establishments and claiming it to be in line with Supreme Court directives. Yet, local police have neither confirmed the presence of foreign nationals nor initiated investigations into the alleged demographic threats, and the local station house officer declined to comment when contacted.

While Sirsa’s early concerns focused on the unregulated expansion of factories into residential areas, his subsequent statements drew links between factory workers and criminality, suggesting threats to women’s safety and public order. Hindi-language media picked up on the narrative, with some outlets displaying posters allegedly found in the area that warned of “jeans jihad,” though Scroll.in could not verify the source or authenticity of such placards.

Residents, however, have pushed back against the minister’s narrative, with several Sikh and Hindu locals stating they had lived peacefully alongside Muslim neighbours, credited the industry for boosting property values, and rejected claims about Rohingyas or Bangladeshis being employed.

As inspections and factory closures continue, thousands of workers have lost their livelihoods. Many told Scroll.in that they left Khyala out of fear that their homes or workshops would be sealed, while others lamented the loss of income due to constant disruptions.