In West Delhi’s Khyala area, a thriving jeans manufacturing hub has come to a standstill after a sealing drive by the Delhi government led by BJP MLA and Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa. The crackdown began in June, targeting allegedly illegal factories, but it has also stirred communal tensions after claims surfaced about a so-called “jeans jihad” — a conspiracy theory accusing Muslim workers of trying to change the area’s population balance.
For over twenty years, Khyala has attracted thousands of Muslim workers from Uttar Pradesh, turning into a major denim production and wholesale centre. It was officially recognised as an industrial zone in 2021. Until recently, people from different communities — Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims — worked together peacefully in the growing business.
But now, some media reports and political figures have started accusing Muslim-run units of harbouring illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar. Though Manjinder Singh Sirsa did not use the term “jeans jihad” himself, he claimed that many workers were infiltrators and suggested they posed a threat to public safety — without offering proof.
“The problem of unlawful factories has existed for a long time. We are dealing with it now,” Sirsa told Scroll.in, adding that the action was taken in line with Supreme Court orders to shut down illegal operations and improve civic conditions.
However, the local police have not confirmed the presence of any illegal immigrants, and no cases have been registered in this regard. Many residents also pushed back against the allegations. “There is no issue between Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims here. But outsiders are bringing in this narrative,” said Abid Khan, who has been manufacturing jeans in Khyala since 1999.
Shrikant Porwal, a member of the local market association, also denied the presence of Bangladeshis or Rohingyas. “This market runs on labour from Uttar Pradesh,” he said, stressing that many units were affected simply because they lacked proper documents, not because of any illegal activity.
Tailors and workers say the sealing drive has devastated their livelihoods. “The industry had around 15,000 workers. Most have now gone back to their hometowns in Uttar Pradesh because they feared their workshops would be shut down,” said Shah Rukh Khan, a tailor from Kasganj.
Some workers who stayed behind are struggling to continue. “There’s no work left. I might have to move to Noida now,” said Aman Pathan, a tailor from Budaun.
Many believe the situation in Khyala has worsened due to rising communal rhetoric and unverified claims, which have turned a peaceful working-class neighbourhood into a place of uncertainty and fear.
