Demolitions In Malvani Trigger Political Row Over ‘Infiltrator’ Claims

The demolition drives were undertaken following the instructions from Cabinet minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, who had visited Malvani multiple times to follow up on the alleged issue of encroachment. 

Malvani is a Muslim populated neighbourhood in Malad, western sub urban Mumbai, which has seen around half a dozen demolitions and evictions, with low-income Muslim and some Dalit households bearing the brunt. More than 100 families have been affected.

Opposition says that Lodha’s interest in “infiltrators and demolitions” follows the Uttar Pradesh template of “Bulldozer Raj” and is aimed against the minorities ahead of the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections (BMC) elections.Lodha has made at least half a dozen posts on social media, branding displaced people as ‘ghuspetiye’. 

He has also made public statements and speeches in the Maharashtra assembly about these evictions. In a media interview, Lodha branded displaced locals as ‘ghuspetiye’ (infiltrators). 

“For the last three years, we have acquired government land worth more than Rs 100 crore which was encroached by people. I started taking it back. This land will be used for public good like gardens, hospitals etc. These infiltrators claimed to be local residents who oppose the use of this land for public purposes,” said Lodha. 

“Everyone knows what is happening in Malvani. In 2010, when the reorganisation of Assembly constituencies took place, the population of one particular group was 20 %. In the last fifteen years, this figure has risen to 37 %, where have these people come from?” Lodha said in the assembly.

These claims remain unverified since India’s census has been stalled since the pandemic in 2020-2021 and is likely to be held in 2026. 

Political tension intensified in the Malvani area after the BJP and Congress clashed over allegations of Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltration, amid recent demolition drives. BJP workers staged a protest in the locality, demanding strict action against alleged undocumented migrants and accusing Congress leaders of opposing anti-encroachment operations.

BJP also levelled allegations against local Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh, claiming he was shielding illegal occupants and obstructing civic action. Congress has rejected these claims, accusing the BJP of communal polarisation ahead of the BMC polls.

It argued that the demolition of 135 unauthorised structures in Malvani has been selectively politicised to target a particular community, while ignoring due process and long-standing residency claims. 

Apart from Malvani, two other demolition drives were carried out in Andheri.

Shuham Kothari from Jan Hakk Sangarsh Samiti, said, “National security is being weaponised to remove slum dwellers, instead of following the procedures provided in Maharashtra Slum Act. In the past few years, all politicians belonging to the Hindutva right-wing parties have been using this infiltrator narrative to bulldoze slum dwellers' rights. When it comes to slum dwellers rights the situation is complete lawlessness.” 

In 2023, Jan Hakk Sangarsh Samiti protested against Lodha, accusing him of misuse of power to demolish hundreds of homes during red alert cyclonic storms, using the same infiltrator narrative.

“The minister is a real estate baron turned politician who is abusing his power to dispossess working class minorities. Without any government studies he is claiming that there are non Indian infiltrators living in slums on land he wants for his personal profit and development.”says Kothari.

Outlook reached out to minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha for his remarks on e-mail, phone and WhatsApp, but no response has been received so far. The story will be updated once we have a response.