Nadine Osman
A Muslim couple in India has sold their newly purchased home in the affluent Trehan Developers Infrastructure (TDI) City neighbourhood of Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, following protests from Hindu residents objecting to their presence on religious grounds.
The controversy began on the evening of December 3, when locals discovered the property had been sold to the couple. A video of the protest quickly gained traction online, featuring one resident, Megha Arora, voicing her strong opposition to the couple’s move.
Arora accused the seller, Dr Ashok Bajaj, of finalising the sale without consulting the neighbourhood, claiming that the couple’s presence would disrupt social harmony in the area.
“We cannot tolerate a Muslim family living near our temple,” she said, pledging to continue protesting to prevent the couple from settling there.
Protesters escalated their objections by lodging a formal complaint with the district magistrate’s office. According to the Dhaka Tribune, they also chanted slogans against both the seller and the Muslim buyers.
“This is a Hindu society where over 400 Hindu families live. We don’t want anyone from the other communities to reside here,” one protester told PTI news agency.
The protesters said they had filed a complaint with the district administration and the local police over the Muslim family taking a house in the society.
“If one house is sold, others might follow, and soon the area could lose its character,” another protester was quoted by the Times of India as saying.
By December 6, the conflict was resolved through mediation facilitated by a local elected official. Dr Bajaj later confirmed that an agreement had been reached for the Muslim couple to resell the property to a Hindu family already residing in the complex.
Dr Bajaj, an eye surgeon and six-year resident of TDI City, explained that he had sold the property to the couple, who are both doctors, due to a long-standing personal relationship between their families. He expressed disappointment over the controversy, describing it as “unnecessary” and entirely unexpected.
Faced with backlash, the couple decided not to move into the home. Dr Bajaj told the BBC that the Muslim couple were not comfortable moving in after the protest.
“The controversy is changing the fabric of the city. Our intention was not to create any kind of unrest with this transaction,” Dr Bajaj said. He pointed out that there was no law against this transaction.
The incident has since attracted national attention, sparking a broader conversation about religious tolerance and housing discrimination in India.
Muslim residents in Moradabad have faced backlash before for purchasing homes in Hindu-majority areas. In 2021, protests erupted when two Muslim families bought houses from Hindu residents, drawing opposition from locals and hardline Hindu organisations.
Photo: Dr Ashok Bajaj faces backlash from Hindu residents of a Moradabad colony in Uttar Pradesh after selling his house to a Muslim family. Protesters displayed a banner reading, ‘Hay Hay! Apna Makan Wapas Lo (Down with Dr. Bajaj! Take your house back).’ (Credit: X/@HateDetector)
