Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai

Mumbai, Feb 22: The ruling Shiv Sena has alleged that certain real estate developers are engaging in what it termed as "housing jihad" by altering the demographic composition of Mumbai.

Party spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam claimed that some builders were manipulating the beneficiary lists of slum redevelopment projects to favour members of a particular community, thereby changing the city’s demographic landscape.

Nirupam stated that such activities were being observed in several parts of Mumbai, particularly in western suburbs and areas like Govandi, Mankhurd, Kurla, Saki Naka, and Bandra.

“There are 600 ongoing Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) projects, and while only 10 percent are handled by Muslim builders, all of them are allegedly engaged in such practices. The larger plan is to bring about a major demographic shift in the city,” he alleged.

The Shiv Sena leader has written to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who also heads the housing department, urging him to investigate the matter.

Citing specific examples, Nirupam pointed to two housing projects in Oshiwara where, he alleged, a Hindu-majority society was converted into a Muslim-majority one. He further claimed that in one particular project, a developer manipulated records to pass 19 structures under a single individual's name.

The allegations have sparked political discussions, with calls for a thorough probe into the claims and the functioning of SRA projects in Mumbai.