‘Hindu area’: Bajrang Dal drives Muslim vendor out of locality
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Ahmedabad: A Muslim street vendor was allegedly forced out of a Hindu-majority area in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, after members of Bajrang Dal confronted him and demanded his identity. The incident, which took place in the Naroda locality, came to light after a video of the episode went viral on social media.
The vendor, identified as Shahjahan, was approached by a group of men wearing saffron headgear. The video shows them asking for his identification documents and questioning his presence in the area. After checking his Aadhaar card and learning his name, the group allegedly told him that only Hindus are allowed to work in the locality and forced him to leave.
The footage also captures members of the group warning other vendors that stalls belonging to non-Hindus would not be allowed in what they described as a “Hindu area,” raising serious concerns about targeted exclusion based on religious identity.
The incident adds to a series of similar developments reported from different parts of India in recent months. In Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, controversial directives had required eateries and street vendors to display owners’ names, a move widely criticised as an attempt to reveal religious identity. The Supreme Court of India later stayed the order.
Tensions have also surfaced in Himachal Pradesh, where protests erupted in Shimla’s Sanjauli area over a mosque construction dispute. Following the unrest, local groups reportedly demanded the removal of Muslim migrant vendors from roadside markets, with calls for mandatory identity disclosure or eviction.
The Ahmedabad incident has intensified concerns over rising instances of religious profiling and exclusion targeting minority communities in public spaces.
