Ahmedabad: During the meeting of the District Coordination Committee, Vejalpur MLA Amit Thaker raised the issue that some Hindu builders in his area were buying land from Hindus in order to sell the houses to Muslims in predominantly Hindu areas. He stated that these actions are hurting the social fabric of the area.

Speaking to the media about this issue, Thaker said it is the responsibility of both communities to ensure that animosity does not arise between them. According to the demographics, in Vejalpur, Hindus have been living in Shri Nand Nagar for years, while Muslims reside on Sonal Road. Both communities have never crossed their limits. This entire area stretches from Sarkhej Roza to the highway. With recent developments, it is not the Muslims who are trying to encroach on these areas; however, the builders who are Hindu are constructing schemes for Muslims. As development takes place, why seek unnecessary profit by building flats for Muslims in Hindu areas? Someone needs to put a stop to this. If you want to earn money, then build the schemes for Muslims in Juhapura instead of trying to disturb the peace.

“The issue is that a social limit has been crossed. I have raised this matter by naming the sites, and the Disturbed Areas Act only comes into play when someone seeks documentation, but by then, it may be too late. I inquired in the collector’s office if there are any rules that can be used other than the Disturbed Areas Act, but there are none. Now, if the Disturbed Areas Act is in place, we will ensure that the rules are followed, but the social fabric of the area should not be broken. That is my intention. I am working with all the councilors and officials regarding this matter,” Thaker said.

The MLA further stated that Vejalpur Assembly Constituency has the highest number of Hindus and Muslims living together. “This area is as sensitive as it is peaceful. However, due to the sensitivity of the area, people often request that housing matters receive priority. Therefore, it is my responsibility to raise this issue if anyone is trying to disrupt this balance.”

Regarding the question of whether his actions are for favoring one community over another, Amit Thaker stated that whatever headlines were made, during the meeting, the Muslim MLA was sitting beside me and agreed that such actions should not occur. Others were also listening, and everyone shared the opinion that this should not happen. There is no need to give it a Hindu-Muslim angle. While the Constitution allows anyone to conduct business and live anywhere, we have a social arrangement that people of the same communities inhabit areas having a similar population. If any schemes are made that disrupt this social pattern, the public will oppose them, and we are here to raise the voice of the people. DeshGujarat