Fish sellers in Chittaranjan Park, an upscale locality in South East Delhi, were asked to remove their stalls after a group of right-wing supporters objected to their presence near a temple, and although the incident appears to be from an earlier date, Delhi Police have confirmed that an investigation will be launched.
An undated video of the confrontation was shared by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, and in the footage, three men wearing saffron kurtas are seen asking the sellers to vacate the area, while one of them claims that the vicinity of temples should remain ‘pure’ and asserts that offerings of meat or fish to deities are not part of Hindu mythology.
Despite the shopkeepers explaining that they possess valid authorisation from the Delhi Development Authority, the right-wing supporters argue that they would approach the concerned authorities and rectify what they described as an administrative ‘mistake'.
The video, which has gained traction on social media, prompted Mahua Moitra to criticise the Delhi Police for inaction, and she alleged that this kind of intimidation had never happened before in the locality, where a large Bengali population resides.
In one of her posts, the TMC leader claimed that the temple being invoked by the objectors was actually built by the fish and meat vendors themselves, and she added that major religious events in the area are often hosted with the participation of these vendors.
In another message, she shared a WhatsApp text allegedly from a local resident who described the situation as worsening due to the forcible closure of shops, and she linked the development to the BJP’s recent governance in the capital.
Delhi Police sources said that while they have not yet received any official complaint, they are examining the video’s content and trying to verify the time and location of the incident, and they also confirmed that the market is a licensed one under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s jurisdiction.
Although the exact date of the video remains unconfirmed, police have assured that action will be taken if any wrongdoing is established, and they are currently relying on social media inputs to build a preliminary understanding of the case.