In Indore, the police’s response to the forced removal of Muslim workers has once again raised questions of consistency and bias.
This, in a district where a bangle seller was jailed overnight after being assaulted on fictitious claims by right-wing men. Where a law intern was immediately booked, branded a “PFI agent” and kept behind bars for over 50 days after being interrogated by five teams. Yet when BJP MLA Malini Gaud’s son, Eklavya Singh Gaud, ordered that Muslim salesmen be removed from the Sheetla Mata Cloth Market, the police have refused to act despite at least two complaints.
The consequences of the police inaction have been mounting, with more and more Muslim salesmen and traders losing work.
Newslaundry had detailed how Gaud claimed his diktat was needed to prevent “love jihad,” alleging Muslim salesmen could exploit customer interactions to form relationships with Hindu women, and the impact of his ultimatum on the market.
The complaints
On September 15, several Muslim salesmen submitted a written complaint to the Indore Police Commissioner, the DCP (Zone-4), and the district collector, alleging threats and harassment. “Their organisation is threatening traders. These people are poisoning society in the name of religion…administration should take action,” read the complaint.
No FIR was lodged.
By September 24, when Newslaundry reported on the issue, at least 50 Muslim salesmen had already lost their jobs. Six days later, the number has risen to around 127, with 40 Muslim-rented shops also shut down. Posters across the market thanked Gaud for making the bazaar “jihadi-mukt” (free of jihadists).
This story was originally published in newslaundry.com. Read the full story here.
