Two back-to-back protests in Delhi informed by strong anti-Muslim sentiments are triggering fresh concerns about the weakened state of India's secular fabric.
The first protest took place in Dwarka Sector 22, where the construction of a Hajj House for Muslim pilgrims is set to take place. A large group of residents from the neighbourhood area and Khaps from nearby villages had gathered at the site of the prospective Hajj House, on 6 August, chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Hindu Ekta' to oppose its construction.
While some protesters said they feared that the Hajj House itself would become 'another Tablighi Jamaat', some other claimed that constructing the Hajj House would lead to clashes, riots, and a law-and-order problem.