Protesters, including Muslims and people of other faiths, gathered peacefully against the mass dismissals at Sheetla Mata Bazaar’s cloth market. More than 50 Muslim workers have already lost employment, and at least four shopkeepers were forced to vacate their rented spaces out of nearly 500 shops. A month earlier, Eklavya Singh Gaud, BJP’s Indore vice-president and son of MLA Malini Gaud, issued an ultimatum urging traders to dismiss all Muslim employees to tackle “love jihad” and allegedly protect Hindu women. Despite salesmen filing a complaint with Indore’s Police Commissioner, no action was taken, with protesters accusing Gaud of targeting workers for political gain.