After the conflict between India and Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Vadodara city in Gujarat and held a roadshow. Colonel Sophia Qureshi’s entire family was invited to the event, showering the PM with flowers as he passed.

But in this same Vadodara lives Onali, who has been struggling for years to receive possession of a piece of land he bought. For years, he has been running from the courts to the police stations, trying to claim what is rightfully his. Ali, along with his brother-in-law, purchased a plot in Champaner Darwaza, Fatehpura, Vadodara, back in 2016.

After buying the land, Ali applied at the Deputy Collector’s office for permission to transfer the property under the Disturbed Areas Act, but his request was denied. In the Deputy Collector’s order, it was stated, “An opinion was sought from the Police Commissioner for investigating this application. The Assistant Police Commissioner advised that permission to sell or transfer this property should not be granted. Therefore, your request for property transfer is rejected.”

Ali then approached the Revenue Department but found no relief there either. Finally, in 2019, the Gujarat High Court granted him ownership rights to the land. Yet, even as of this June, he has still not been able to take possession.

Ali says local Hindu opposition is the main reason for this deadlock. Under pressure from local Hindu groups, the two witnesses to the land sale – a local Muslim shopkeeper named Farhan and another man, Keshav Rana – told the High Court that they were tricked into signing the sale documents. The High Court reprimanded both witnesses and the Hindu faction for this, imposing a fine of Rs 25,000 each.

Those opposing Ali’s ownership include BJP leaders, a former corporator, and other locals. They argue that if Muslims keep buying land in the area, their population will increase, eventually forcing Hindus to migrate. Ironically, Ali’s land is not even residential.

This is not an isolated incident. Dozens of such cases are pending in courts across Gujarat.

In this report, we try to shed light on the impact of the Disturbed Areas Act, the problems it causes people, the reasons behind its enactment, its stated purpose, and how the BJP government has used it to its advantage.

Watch our special report.