Luckhnow: Rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Sangeet Som, and his supporters have vadalised a Muslim food vendor’s stall and looted his cart in the BJP-ruled Indian state Utter Pradesh.
According to the details, the poor Muslim youth, Muhammad Sajid, selling vegetable biryani, not mutton or beef biryani, was attacked and his stall was vandalized by the BJP leader and his supporters in Sardhana area of the Meerut district of the state. The Hindutva goons looted his cart and robbed him of his hard earned money on the charges of selling beef.
The incident is a reflection on the intensity with which the Hindutva parties like BJP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal are carrying on their campaign for economic boycott of Muslims. They are so rigid in their drive to deprive the Muslim community of basic right to livelihood that they are not sparing even a humble street food vendor.
Targeting of Muslim vendors, which of late have become rampant in Karnataka and other BJP ruled states, can no longer are brushed aside as stray incidents. These, in fact, point to a diabolical plan to inflict economic apartheid on an entire community by scaring its members away from their traditional business enterprises. Hence, these premeditated assaults should be seen in the light of the larger agenda behind them.
Recounting the incident, Sajid said it all started when they asked him as to what he was selling. The unassuming vendor replied that it was veg biryani. Visibly unconvinced by his reply, they threw his biryani away and looted the cash.
Sajid lodged his complaint at the Sardhana police station. SHO of the police station, Laxaman Verma told media men that they have initiated an investigation after filing an FIR in the matter. However, no arrest has been made in the case so far.
On the other hand, a Hindutva group barged into a branch of Janata Hotel warning the owner against selling halal meat. When a customer intervened to rein in the bullies, he was assaulted in Karnataka’s Shivmoga area.
The full-scale campaign for economic boycott of Muslim came close on the heels of a diktat barring Muslims from doing business in and around temples in Karnataka. The Hindu extremist outfits which are carrying out the dubious campaigns have tacit support of the government. The state animal husbandry department has even issued a circular prohibiting halal way of cattle slaughter in the state. Web Desk
