In two separate incidents, Muslim workers faced harassment from local residents who demanded to see their identification and proof of police verification for working in the area.
A video from Punjab’s Ludhiana surfaced on social media on Friday, April 3, showing a man confronting a Muslim band player and questioning him over “verification” to operate his business in the colony.
The video was titled, “Bina police verification ese logo ko apni gali mohale main naa aane do (Without police verification, don’t let these people come to your colony).” The vendor, identified as Irfan, came to Punjab from Uttar Pradesh and appeared to be involved in playing instruments in the locality.
“Dikhao aapka adhaar card. Kaha ke ho? (Show me your Aadhaar card. Where are you from),” the man asks as Irfan urges him to stop taking a video.
When Irfan replied saying he is from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, the man continued asking, “Yahapar aap jo bechrahe ho, koi verification karai hai apne police wale (Have you obtained any police verification for what you are selling here).”
Eventually, having learned Irfan’s name through some persistence, the man warned him against playing in the area again.
“Humne aap ko koi mara nai, humne aapka baja nai toda. Humane sirf nivedan kiya ki bhai, hum thane me jama karainge (We did not hit you, nor did we break your instrument. We simply requested that we will take this issue to the police station),” he said.
Two men questioned for working in Rajasthan
Similarly, Salim, a resident of Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh, had come to Rajasthan when he was stopped by a Hindutva man who questioned his intentions to work in the village.
The incident took place in Baishpada village in Bhilwara district. Salim had arrived there for work with his associate. However, the resident stopped both of them, took their bike keys and harassed them.
With a mala around his neck, the man advised Salim to make an identity card to operate his business. “Only if you have an identity card, you can work in our village. If you ever get into trouble, how do we identify you? How do we know where you live?”
He then threatened Salim to go straight home and later obtain a police verification to continue working in the area.
“Dekh tu roz aa, thane me se likahke la ki hum yah bechsakte hai. Aur dusri number, ek identity card banwa, tum fraud karke chalejaoge toh hum tumhe dhunenge kaha? (Look, come every day, but get a written permit from the police station saying you are allowed to sell here. Secondly, get an identity card made. If you commit a fraud and disappear, where will we go looking for you),” the man told Salim’s associate, who smiled and nodded his head.
“Dekho aisi hi hum kuch kar nai pa rahe hai. Hum inse kuch nai keh rahe hai. Yeh pehle hum ko hi peetna chahte hain (Look, we aren’t even able to do anything as it is. We aren’t saying anything to them. They are the ones who want to beat us up first),” he added.
