Kanpur Mayor calls for law to prevent Muslims from occupying Hindu properties

Kanpur: No end to hate and bigotry targeting the Muslim community by elected members, which was once again publicly heard from Kanpur Mayor Pramila Pandey, demanding a law to prevent Muslims from buying properties owned by Hindus and vice versa.

Addressing a crowd in Munshipurwa, a predominantly Muslim locality in Kanpur, on Tuesday, Mayor Pramila Pandey cited concerns about a Hanuman temple being encroached upon by residents in the area.

"I do not have a problem with Muslims per se, but it is their mentality about temples in their vicinity that becomes problematic," she stated, hinting at underlying tensions between the two communities.

Pandey claimed to have identified 125 temples illegally occupied by Muslims and expressed her determination to remove any such encroachments in the future.

The visit to Munshipurwa was prompted by complaints of garbage being dumped around the Hanuman temple, sparking fears of gradual encroachment.

The temple in question was surrounded by property initially owned by Shiv Murat, who reportedly sold it to the current owner, Mohd Akhlaq, about 20 years ago. The sale came with a stipulation that no windows or doors should open towards the temple, presumably to protect its sanctity.

Pandey's controversial demand comes on the heels of a previous campaign she had launched in 2022, aimed at identifying Hindu temples situated in Muslim-dominated localities. However, the campaign was cut short after violence erupted on June 3, 2022.

Despite strict orders from the Supreme Court to the police for suo moto action against hate speech, hate is being spewed rampantly without any rein in the country, violating the principles of secularism and, in effect, further polarizing communities.

Many citizens expressed concerns that this divisive proposal could fuel communal tensions and breed animosity between Hindus and Muslims.