15,000 Jobs Lost in Khyala:
SDPI Condemns Delhi Govt’s Crackdown on Jeans Industry

Yasmin Farooqui, National General Secretary of the Social Democratic Party of India, strongly condemns the baseless and inflammatory “jeans jihad” narrative propagated by Delhi’s Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa. This dangerous rhetoric has led to the unjustified sealing of Khyala’s thriving jeans manufacturing hub in West Delhi—an economic lifeline employing over 15,000 workers, primarily Muslim artisans from Uttar Pradesh.

For years, this industry stood as a model of economic progress and communal harmony, enhancing property values and fostering peaceful coexistence among Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim communities. The sealing drive, launched in June 2025, has now paralyzed this hub, displacing thousands and disrupting essential supply chains under the pretense of civic enforcement.

Sirsa’s allegations of “Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators” are completely unsubstantiated, lacking any official or police verification. His divisive rhetoric—amplified by certain media platforms—mirrors other communal conspiracy theories like “love jihad”, aimed at political polarization before the upcoming elections. This is not governance—it is a calculated assault on both livelihoods and social cohesion.

The fallout is devastating: thousands of skilled workers have returned to their hometowns for meager wages, while West Delhi’s wholesale jeans market, once a robust economic driver, lies in ruins. Even local non-Muslim residents, such as Harcharan Singh Kalsi, have publicly acknowledged the industry’s positive role, directly contradicting the government’s claims of public nuisance.

The Social Democratic Party of India demands an immediate, independent investigation to expose the falsehoods behind this communal narrative and to hold accountable those responsible for spreading it. The Delhi government must compensate and rehabilitate displaced workers, and review the selective and discriminatory execution of the sealing drive.

SDPI stands firmly for justice, unity, and inclusive development, and calls on all authorities to reject hate-driven politics in favor of evidence-based, humane governance.