Ghaziabad: A Hindutva man forced an elderly Muslim shopkeeper and his employees to shut down his mutton shop by threatening to “set the store on fire” if it remained open on Tuesdays.
The incident reportedly took place in Kaila Bhatta village in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad under the Kotwali police station limits. The man, identified as a leader of a Hindutva organisation, Rashtriya Hindu Veer Sena, Satyam Pandit, claimed that the shop is not allowed to sell meat near a temple on Tuesdays.
A video of the incident from Tuesday, February 24, was shared by Pandit on his Facebook account on Wednesday, February 25, with the caption, “We will not allow any Muslim to sell meat in Ghaziabad on Tuesday. Today, we went to Kaila Bhatta and got all the meat shops closed.”
He is seen approaching the mutton shop, asking them if they “have permission to sell meat on Mangalwar (Tuesday)” and aggressively asks them to halt their operations.
“Turants band karo, samme mandir nai dikhra hai? Dukaan khulna nai hai mangal ke din. Kyun kholte ho yeh dukaan mangal ke din? Band karadunga (Close this immediately. Can’t you see the temple right in front? This shop must not be open on Tuesdays. Why are you keeping it open on Tuesdays? I’ll have it shut down),” Pandit told the shop owner.
The shopkeeper and the other employees complied and took their business inside while he repeatedly issued threats. “Agar Mangal se dukaan khuli dikhi toh aag laga dunga ek minute mein,” he said.
When Siasat.com contacted the Kotwali police station, the Station House Officer said investigations are underway, but no case has been registered.
“We received information about the incident from social media. Officers are on the field inspecting the situation. We are awaiting more information,” the SHO said.
