‘Land Jihad’ has replaced ‘Love Jihad’ rhetoric in Uttar Pradesh. Leaders of Hindu organisations have been accusing Muslims of purchasing houses in Hindu-dominated colonies and constructing mosques and mazaars on government land as part of a “calculated move”.

The issue is in the spotlight after a Muslim family recently bought a house in a Hindu locality which right wing saffron organisations took offence of.

The Hindu Organisations which are raising the issue of Land Jihad have decided to take initiatives to awaken the community against the ‘threat’. Some Muslim organisations, however, have described it as a sign of ‘saffron terrorism’ to get the mileage in the 2019 general elections.

Balraj Singh Dunger, Prant Sanyojak of Bajrang Dal, and Sudarshan Chakra Maharaj, Seh Prant Sangthan Mantri of the VHP, are raising the issue strongly. Last week Hindus in Maliwara locality of old city area protested against the sale of a house to a Muslim. The protesters compelled the Hindu owner of the house to step back from the deal and prevented a Muslim coming to stay in their vicinity.

Now, VHP and Bajrang Dal have jumped in and decided to start a mass-awakening of Hindus over the issue. Balraj Singh said, “Land jihad is not a new threat and said it all started from Kashmir with mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits 30 years ago. Now, they have started replicating it in cities and towns of Western UP.”

“Muslims first purchase a house at a high price in a Hindu-dominated locality and then start enticing our daughters,” said Singh, asserting that they would not allow this to happen. He also charged Muslims with constructing mosques and ‘m’azaar’ on government land.

VHP leader Sudarshan Chakra Maharaj said many Hindu-dominated colonies have converted into Muslim colonies because of this ongoing ‘land jihad’. “We will start a campaign against it from February,” he said.

However calling it an attempt of saffron terrorism to divide the society, Shadab Chauhan, state’s spokesperson of AIMIM, said “these forces have no faith on constitutional rights of country’s citizen and wanted to impose their own law”.

A delegation of AIMIM also called on IG, Meerut zone, Ramkumar, and demanded action against the errant Hindu leaders.