Police acknowledge the forcible action but say no complaint received
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — After intervention from police, Muslim meat sellers were able to open their shops that were forced to shut last week around Navratri festival by vigilantes of Bajrang Dal, a Hindu extremist outfit, in Faridabad, Haryana.
According to the Indian Express, on October 7, a group of Bajrang Dal men forced meat shop owners to close their shops in Sanjay Colony, Sector 23, claiming that they had permission from government to do so. Police and administration, however, denied issuing any such orders.
“A group of 8-10 men threatened that if we don’t close the shop, they will forcibly close it… We didn’t want trouble so we pulled down the shutters. Officers from the nearby station later came to enquire and assured us protection. We did not file a complaint and opened the shop. Police said there was no order for closure of shops,” Mohammed Hashim, a meat seller in the colony alleged while speaking with the Indian Express.
The police officials acknowledged the forcible action but said that the shopkeeper has not made any complaint and they are yet to identify the group of men.
On October 6, Bajrang Dal submitted an application before Faridabad Deputy Commissioner seeking closure of shops on Navratri but the administration did not issue any orders.
The right-wing supporters also forced closure of meat shops in Palwal. A video that surfaced on the internet shows a group of men asking meat shops to shut. Cops can also be seen in the video. An anonymous police officer told the Indian Express that cops went to the spot to pacify the situation.
Shut down order in Noida
Reports of meat shops asked to shut also emerged from some areas in Noida. The meat sellers said that they were asked by police to observe the shutdown but the police denied issuing such instructions saying they were only ensuring peace was maintained.
