Uproar as BJP worker threatens Muslim shopkeepers in U.P.’s Moradabad for selling meat in Hindu area

A BJP worker in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad landed in trouble when she was allegedly seen threatening Muslim shopkeepers against selling meat or other non-vegetarian items in the area, which is considered to be dominated by the Hindu community.

In the video that has gone viral, Sunita Sharma was allegedly holding a microphone and warned Muslim shopkeepers to refrain from selling meat on Tuesdays in Hindu-dominated areas, with supporters chanting slogans like ‘Jai Shri Ram’. She also threatened to organise demonstrations against renting out shops to Muslims.

“In the Hindu area, no biryani shop will be given to any Muslim. We will hold protests, I am ready to attack. Today, I came to know that there were many shops open. How can Muslims be operating shops in a Hindu dominant area? Listen to me carefully, the shops should be vacated immediately,” Ms. Sharma, could be heard saying in the viral video.

‘Minus Muslim’ society

Demanding action against the BJP leader, the Opposition Congress said such instances aimed to make a environment without Muslims in several spheres of society, economy with a broader agenda of making them second-class citizens. Such episodes are an on the core constitutional principles and rules-based system in India, which gives rights to every citizen to sell non-vegetarian items in any part of the country, the party said, while adding that Ms. Sharma was promoting communal polarisation and violating constitutional principles of equality and religious freedom.

“In recent times, from Bareilly to Moradabad, we hear of fringe groups aggressively protesting against a Muslim buying a house in a Hindu society. These actions aim to create a ‘Minus Muslim’ society, from shops to houses to society and economy,” said Congress national secretary Shahnawaz Alam.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) said polarising rhetoric used by no less than Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is dragging down the discourse to low levels with the ruling party cadre pushing the same narrative. “If the Chief Minister uses divisive communal language, the lower-level cadre follows it. The Moradabad viral video is the extension of language coming from above,” said Javed Ali Khan, Rajya Sabha MP.