Muslim livelihoods targeted as Hindutva goons force shop closures in Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow: A group of Hindutva men threatened and forced Muslim shopkeepers selling eggs, chicken and other food items to shut their businesses in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri, raising concerns over the targeting of Muslim-owned business and the growing assertion of vigilante groups in the BJP-ruled state.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a video circulating on social media shows several Hindutva men carrying sticks, confronting and threatening Muslim shopkeepers and vendors. The men ordered businesses selling eggs, chicken and other food items to close and were seen arguing with and verbally abusing some of the shopkeepers.
Social media posts identified the group as members of the Vishva Hindu Mahasangh Gau Raksha and described the action as being carried out in the name of cow protection. One of the men seen in the videos has been identified in the posts as Golu Chauhan, described as the district president of the Vishva Hindu Mahasang
The men invoked the ongoing month of Sawan while pressuring the shopkeepers to shut their establishments. The videos have since triggered criticism over the targeting of Muslim-owned businesses and the action of private groups attempting to enforce restrictions on what shops can sell.
The incident has drawn strong criticism on social media, with users questioning the actions of the Hindutva men seen in the videos and the response of the local administration.
Tagging the Uttar Pradesh Police and other authorities, one user on X wrote, “In a state where goons issue edicts to shut down shops and the police, instead of enforcing the law, remain silent, the problem isn’t just with the goons, it’s with the system too.”
Following social media backlash, Mainpuri Police said they had taken note of the viral footage. The police did not disclose whether any arrests had been made or identify the individuals seen in the videos. It was also not immediately clear whether a formal case had been registered over the threats and forced closure of the shops.
