Tension: Hindutva group protests Muslims buying houses in UP

Muzaffarnagar: Tension gripped Janakpuri Colony in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar on Wednesday after members of the Hindu Sangharsh Samiti held a protest outside houses purchased by Muslim families, alleging that the transactions were altering the area's demographic composition, according to a report by India Today.

The group gathered outside the houses and recited the Hanuman Chalisa, prompting police and administrative officials to reach the spot and begin an inquiry.

During the inspection, authorities found that Muslim families had purchased around six houses in the Hindu-majority colony. Officials said four of the properties had been constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). Following a preliminary assessment, the district administration sealed two of the houses, alleging they were built under the government housing scheme, and asked the occupants to vacate them. Verification of the remaining properties is underway.

The Hindu Sangharsh Samiti claimed that people were deliberately purchasing houses in the locality to change its demographic character. The organisation announced that weekly Hanuman Chalisa recitations would continue until the Muslim families left the colony.

The affected families denied any wrongdoing, saying they had legally purchased the properties and were unaware that some of them had been built under the PMAY scheme. One homeowner alleged that the property was bought for Rs 23.25 lakh without any objection at the time of sale and that the seller never disclosed its status under the government scheme.

Police said administrative authorities were examining the complaints and that further action would be taken based on the outcome of the verification process.