Kolkata: Muslim vendors allegedly assaulted for selling non-veg food at Gita recitation event

At least three Muslim vendors have alleged that they were assaulted for selling non-vegetarian food at a Gita chanting event in Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday.

The event, Panch Lokkho Konthe Gitapath (Gita recitation in five lakh voices), was organised on Sunday by the Sanatan Sanskriti Sansad, a collective of monks and Hindutva outfits. According to the organisers, nearly five lakh people attended.

Several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Suvendu Adhikari and Samik Bhattacharyya, were also present.

During the event, groups allegedly asked Muslim vendors their names, accused them of being “Bangladeshi infiltrators” and threw away their food items.

Videos of the alleged assault were widely shared on social media. In one clip, groups of men are seen screaming at two vendors, and physically and verbally abusing them. “How dare you sell chicken at a Hindu event?” a man can be heard shouting.

Two of the Muslim food vendors, 50-year-old Sheikh Riyajul and 60-year-old Salauddin, have filed separate complaints at the Maidan police station alleging assault by the participants of the event, The Hindu reported.

Two first information reports have been registered but no arrests have been made so far. The police also said that they are examining social media videos and CCTV footage to identify those involved.

Riyajul said that the attackers asked him if he was selling chicken, adding that “they threw away my products and started beating me” when he said yes, the newspaper reported.

Another vendor, 35-year-old Muntaz Mallick, said that the mob also targeted hawkers selling snacks that contained onions, The Telegraph reported.

“They not only assaulted us for selling chicken patties but also targeted those selling snacks like grams with onion,” he told The Telegraph. “They asked how we dared to sell non-veg items at a Hindu religious event. Onions and chicken were prohibited, they shouted.”

He added that the men demanded to see his Aadhaar card to prove that he was not a “Bangladeshi infiltrator”.

The organisers of the Gita event, however, denied any role in the violence and called for action against those responsible.

One of the organisers, Swami Nirgunananda, said that such acts of violence would not be supported.

“There was no instruction from our side to prohibit the sale of non-vegetarian food items,” The Telegraph quoted Nirgunananda as saying. “We do not know who those attackers were, as we can’t identify everyone who attended a programme of lakhs.”

He added: “We only requested devotees to have satvik ahar [pure vegetarian food], but we never forced anyone. There was no restriction on selling any kind of food as the ground is not a temple or an ashram. Anyone violating the law should face legal action.”

The incident has triggered a political row in West Bengal.

Trinamool Congress State Vice President Jay Prakash Majumdar told The Hindu that the alleged assault was an attempt by Hindutva groups to malign West Bengal’s inclusive culture.

“This is a complete misinterpretation of Hindu philosophy,” he said. “Kolkata has always been very tolerant, but the BJP and RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] are trying to ruin this peace.”

Leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also filed a police complaint over the incident, The Hindu reported.

On the other hand, BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar said that it had not been verified whether the attackers were linked to the party.

“However, some people’s religious sentiments may have been affected because of this non-veg food sale at a Hindu event.” The Hindu quoted Majumdar as saying. “If someone sells alcohol in front of a mosque during Friday prayers, will that be acceptable?”