Mosque’s Water Line to Be Disconnected Post BJP Leader’s ‘Land Jihad’ Charge

Following allegations of land jihad by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Member of Parliament Mr. Kirit Somaiya, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has directed authorities to disconnect the water supply to a mosque adjacent to Terminal 2 of Mumbai Airport. The directive, issued to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport operators, stated that the connection is unrecorded and requires valid approval documents within seven days. ‘It is requested to submit a copy of approval granted to the Masjid or disconnect the water supply within seven days, failing which further action may be taken under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act,’ the civic body warned in its official notice.

The action comes after the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) categorized the site as an unauthorized structure and requested its relocation, noting that the airport’s Interim Development Plan provides no allocation for public worship. Mr. Somaiya had earlier demanded the mosque’s removal, alleging that it was operating without permission in the taxi stand area. Escalating his claims, Mr. Somaiya stated, ‘I will file a complaint with Sahar Police Station for fraudulent land grabbing and illegal construction of the mosque by Land Jihad mafias and MIAL cargo official Mohammad Sarwar. He subsequently visited the police station to lodge an FIR alleging illegal land encroachment.

In his complaint, Mr. Somaiya named Mohammad Sarwar and MIAL official Mr. N. R. Srinivasan, accusing them of facilitating the illegal construction on airport land. The MMRDA has stated that the operational responsibility regarding the structure rests with airport operator Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL). This incident reflects a series of similar campaigns led by Mr. Somaiya, who previously coined the term school jihad when labeling the Tehzeeb Islamic English School in Govandi as an unauthorized madrasa. That campaign prompted initial demolition by the BMC before the Bombay High Court intervened to halt further action at the site.

Additionally, Mr. Somaiya has used terms like vote jihad to allege political and demographic changes in Muslim-majority constituencies. His campaign against alleged Bangladeshi immigrants and unauthorized land occupations intensified in 2026, when he frequently framed urban land disputes as land jihad while targeting alleged illegal settlements of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas. While civic authorities continue to issue regulatory notices to the airport operator, the matter remains under administrative and legal review as compliance deadlines approach.