A group led by Akhand Hindu Rashtra Sena Chief, Shiv Pratap Singh harassed Muslim fruit vendors to enforce the Uttar Pradesh government’s recent directives to display shop owners’ names along Kanwar Yatra routes.
The incident occurred in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, July 21.
The assault occurred aimed at the Uttar Pradesh government’s recent order for shop and vendor owners to display their names prominently along the routes used for the Kanwar Yatra, a significant pilgrimage for Hindus.
The Kanwar Yatra, attracting thousands of Hindu devotees, has become a focal point for communal identity in recent years.
In a video that has surfaced on social media, Shiv Pratap Singh is seen leading the Hindutva radical group members and raiding Muslim vendors pressuring them to place nameplates in front of their carts while reminding them of government orders.
In one clip during the confrontation, Singh was purportedly heard threatening a Muslim vendor pressurizing that if he did not display his name in front of his cart within two hours, he would complain to the police authorities, leading to the potential seizure of the vendor’s fruits and cart.
This intimidation tactic highlights the aggressive enforcement of the directive and its implications for the Muslim community in the area.
Following Uttar Pradesh, another BJP-ruling state Uttarakhand also announced the same directives, ordering vendors to display their names or face action.
The directives which are being deemed as divisive have met widespread criticism, as critics see them as a deliberate attempt to target Muslim vendors and marginalise their businesses.
The opposition parties and several renowned activists, like Bollywood actors Sonu Sood and Prakash Raj, have voiced concern on social media, stating that the enforcement of the name display directive appears to be selectively enforced in a manner that disproportionately affects Muslim vendors.
In recent years, there has been a larger trend of marginalisation and economic pressure placed on Muslims in India. This phenomenon has gained traction, particularly amid the backdrop of rising anti-Muslim sentiment fueled by right-wing propaganda, which has been documented in various reports.
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