Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) has taken the controversial step of cancelling the licenses of 27 hotels owned by Muslims but registered under Hindu names, further intensifying concerns of religious bias and discrimination in the state. Muslim entrepreneurs across Gujarat are now left grappling with the repercussions of this action, which they see as an unfair attack on their livelihoods, religious identity, and business operations.
The decision follows an investigation by GSRTC, sparked by complaints alleging that some private hotels were using Hindu names to attract a larger Hindu clientele while being Muslim-run establishments. In a move that has drawn widespread condemnation, GSRTC revoked the permission for buses to stop at these hotels. Now, 27 hotels in various districts — Vadodara, Rajkot, Palanpur, Godhra, Nadiad, Ahmedabad, and Bharuch — will no longer be frequented by state buses.
This decision is being seen by many within the Muslim community as a deeply troubling form of religious profiling, aimed at marginalising Muslim businesses and undermining their right to thrive in a competitive marketplace. The reaction has been swift and critical, with many questioning whether this is a targeted effort to create divisions between the Hindu and Muslim communities.
“This is yet another step in the ongoing discrimination against Muslims in Gujarat. We have always followed the rules and regulations, but now, simply because we are Muslims, our businesses are being targeted,” said Muhammad Aslam, a hotel owner from Vadodara. “We have worked hard to establish our businesses and have been contributing to the state’s economy. This action is an attack on our existence.”
Local Muslim leaders have also voiced strong opposition to the move, calling it part of a broader political agenda to undermine the Muslim community’s position in Gujarat. “This is nothing more than an attempt to alienate and intimidate Muslim entrepreneurs,” said Zafar Alam, a prominent community leader. “Forcing businesses to operate under specific religious identities, or penalising them for doing so, will only serve to drive a deeper wedge between communities. This kind of religious profiling is harmful not only to businesses but also to the fabric of our society.”
The state government’s defence of this action as a response to public complaints about misleading business practices has been widely rejected by many, who argue that it is a thinly veiled excuse for an attack on Muslim-run establishments. Critics claim that the government is using the guise of regulation to justify policies that disproportionately target Muslims and reinforce religious stereotypes.
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.