Muslim driver killed, biryani shop demolished during Kanwar Yatra in Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow: The ongoing Kanwar Yatra in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh state has once again raising concerns over discrimination, selective enforcement and the targeting of Muslim livelihoods, after a Muslim driver was beaten to death by Hindu pilgrims in Hapur and a Muslim biryani shopkeeper was arrested before his shop was demolished in Bareilly.
According to Kashmir Media Service, 24-year-old Mohammed Azeem died at a Delhi hospital on August 4, four days after he was beaten with batons by a group of Kanwar pilgrims in Hapur. The assault took place on July 31 after his vehicle collided with an autorickshaw carrying Kanwar Yatris. He is survived by his wife, an infant son and his ailing father, Intezar, who has been bedridden for more than a year.
The FIR named four Kanwar pilgrims, Ankit, Lokesh, Manish and Shivam, as well as the autorickshaw driver and two unidentified persons. They were booked on charges including attempted murder, rioting and voluntarily causing hurt. However, police have so far made no arrests in the case.
In a separate incident in Bareilly, police arrested shopkeeper Mohammad Salman after he opened his biryani shop along the Kanwar Yatra route. On August 8, municipal and police teams demolished his tin-shed counter and adjoining structure near the main route following a complaint by Hindutva Bajrang Dal workers that the shop was selling non-vegetarian food in violation of advisories.
Police detained Salman and others, citing concerns over public peace, while videos of the demolition circulated widely on social media. The action drew sharp criticism, with many users questioning the demolition of a poor vendor’s livelihood over the sale of chicken biryani and saying the authorities of placing religious sentiments above basic rights and livelihoods.
The incidents have renewed concerns over the treatment of Muslims during the Kanwar Yatra and allegations of selective enforcement against the community. Critics have also questioned the use of demolitions as a punitive measure without adequate due process.
Opposition parties and civil society groups have repeatedly criticized the Uttar Pradesh government’s use of bulldozers, describing the practice as “bulldozer raj” and stating that that it disproportionately affects poor and minority communities.
