Kashmiri shawl sellers stopped in Haryana, forced to chant 'Jai Shri Ram’

An alleged incident of harassment involving two Kashmiri shawl sellers has come to light in Haryana’s Yamunanagar district after a video of the episode circulated widely on social media.

The incident reportedly occurred on Monday afternoon in Kalawad village, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Chhapar police station. The two men, identified as Nazir Ahmad Khwaja and Imtiaz Ahmad, had travelled from Kashmir and were visiting villages in the area to sell shawls and blankets.

Soon after they arrived in Kalawad, some local residents allegedly questioned their identity and passed objectionable remarks, Free Press Journal reported.

According to available information, the two youths were allegedly coerced into raising religious slogans, including “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai”. In the video, a local man can be seen threatening them and allegedly warning that their clothes would be taken away if they were seen in the village again. One of the Kashmiri vendors is heard repeatedly saying that he is an Indian citizen, while declining to chant the slogans.

The video reportedly led to brief tension in the village, though some residents later intervened and helped calm the situation. The two vendors subsequently left the area and moved on to nearby villages.

The clip was shared on X by a user named Ashraf Hussain, who criticised the incident and questioned why poor vendors were being targeted.

Chhapar SHO Vedpal said the police had received informal information about the matter but added that no formal complaint had been lodged so far, and as a result, no action has been taken.