After the controversy surrounding the denial of job by a Mumbai based company to Zeeshan Khan on religious lines, yet another similar incident has been reported. 25 year old, Misbah Quadri claims that she was denied a flat only because she is a Muslim. According to reports, after searching for flats, Misbah had finally located a 3-BHK apartment at Sanghvi Heights in Mumbai’s, Wadala area. However, a day before Misbah was to shift, the apartment’s broker warned that the housing society did not accept Muslim tenants. Even if something worked out, the broker told her, she would have to sign a “no-objection certificate” declaring that if she faced any harassment from her neighbours because of her religion, the builder, the owner and the broker “would not be legally responsible.” She was also asked to submit her resume. Though she disagreed with the terms, she moved in because the notice period at her previous flat had already expired and after support from her flatmates, she hoped for a compromise later. But within a week, the agent contacted her again and threatened to call the cops and throw her out of the flat. When she approached the representative of the builder, she was told that it was “a policy” of the company not to have Muslim tenants. She was then served an ultimatum to vacate the house.
Lawyer and activist, Shehzad Poonawalla filed a petition at the National Commission for Minorities. According to the petition, the reported incident is a blatant violation of the spirit of the Constitution that mandates equality and absence of religious discrimination through Articles 14 and Article 25. Although the said articles apply to State/Public Authorities, it is incumbent on the Central and State government to prevent public and private entities from violating the Constitution and promote religious discrimination, hatred and intolerance. It is a blatant violation of several penal provisions of the Indian Penal Code 1860 that prohibits discrimination on religious lines, hatred, intolerance and stereotyping including sections 153B, 295A and 505(2).
(Pic courtesy ANI)
