A township project coming up in Karjat, around 100 km from Mumbai, has sparked a major controversy after promotional videos described it as offering a “Halal lifestyle” exclusively for Muslims.
The project, named Sukoon Empire, drew attention after National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Priyank Kanoongo shared one such video on X. The clip featured a woman in a hijab promoting the township as a place for “authentic community living with like-minded families, children growing safely in a Halal environment, elders being respected, prayer spaces within walking distance, and spiritual wellness.”
Posting the video, Kanoongo wrote: “This is not advertisement, it is poison… a township is being built only for people of the Muslim faith, offering a Halal lifestyle. This is nothing less than a ‘Nation within the Nation.’ A notice is being sent to the Maharashtra government.”
यह विज्ञापन नहीं विष व्यापन है।
मुंबई के पास करजत इलाके में केवल मुसलमान मज़हब वालों के लिए हलाल लाइफ़ स्टाइल वाली टाउनशिप बनाई जा रही है।
यह Nation Within The Nation है,महाराष्ट्र सरकार को नोटिस किया जा रहा है। pic.twitter.com/zYtW4PN4Qt— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) September 1, 2025
The NHRC has since issued a notice to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary, seeking a detailed report within two weeks. The Commission said the matter raises “serious concerns of human rights violations.”
Critics argue the project promotes religious segregation and violates the Constitution. “Houses will be built only for people of one religion. Houses will be sold to people of this religion… This is a challenge to the Constitution of India,” the NHRC stated, warning that such developments could lead to demands for religiously exclusive schools, services, and even separate states. It further described the promotion as “a call for Ghazwa-e-Hind” and demanded strict action against the builders and withdrawal of the advertisements.
Meanwhile, some voices online defended the project, arguing that Muslims face housing discrimination in urban India and are therefore forced to create safe spaces for themselves. Hindutva groups, however, slammed the township as “communal gentrification.”
The Maharashtra government has yet to respond formally, though officials have indicated the matter is under review. The township site at Neral-Karjat remained closed in recent days, with construction expected to begin soon.
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