Housing Project On Religious Line Sparks Row, Firm Deletes Ad

A proposed real estate project in Maharashtra’s Neral, nearly 100 km from Mumbai, stirred a political controversy after its advertisement went viral online.

The project was marketed as “Halal Lifestyle Township", which drew criticism and accusations of promoting exclusivity on religious lines. It was alleged that the project was being marketed as a residential space for a community.

The row erupted after former National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo shared the video of the advertisement on his X handle and labelled it “Nation Within The Nation". After backlash over the Halal property, the builder has taken down the ad from his social media platforms.

A woman in the advertisement was seen wearing a hijab and describing the township as a community providing “authentic community living" with “like-minded families who share the same values". She advertised that the place would have prayer spaces and community gatherings within “walking distance".

Kanoongo shared the video on X and said that a notice has been issued to the Maharashtra government. All India Muslim Jamaat National President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi criticised the use of the word “Halal" in the project and said that it was an attempt to “spread hatred" in society.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde questioned the motive behind the advertisement and urged the state government to order an investigation into the project.BJP spokesperson Ajit Chavan went a step further, describing it as a “Ghazwa-e-Hind” attempt and insisting that such projects have no place in Mumbai or Maharashtra. He termed it a challenge to the Constitution and called for strict action against the developers.