Guwahati: Muslim vendors setting up stalls along the route to the Kamakhya Temple during the Ambubachi Mela in Assam were allegedly abused, harassed and forced to close their shops by a group of Hindu extremists.
Videos reportedly filmed by the men involved and circulated on social media show them questioning the vendors over their religion and the items they were selling. In one clip, a vendor wearing a mala was allegedly assaulted, struck on the neck and asked to produce his Aadhaar card.
The incident has drawn attention because it fits into a broader pattern of similar targeting of Muslim traders at Hindu religious gatherings in different parts of the country. At the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj in January 2025, a Muslim vendor selling religious posters and idols was reportedly harassed and removed by Hindutva group members, while police were present. In Karnataka, Muslim traders were also pushed out of temple fairs from 2022 onward, with some groups putting up banners to bar them from stalls.
The Ambubachi Mela, held every year at the Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hills, is one of the biggest religious gatherings in Northeast India. This year’s edition, which began on June 22 and continues till June 26, has reportedly drawn around eight lakh pilgrims.
There was no immediate response from Assam Police or the Kamrup Metro district administration on the reported incident.