Threats, conspiracy claims, closure orders: How Delhi BJP neta Ravinder Negi tyrannizes Muslim vendors – Alt News

Since the Narendra Modi-led NDA government assumed power, India has witnessed a noticeable rise in Hindutva-driven forces. Hindutva as an ideology advocates for India to be defined primarily as a Hindu nation. This has coincided with an increase in hate crimes and hostility toward the country’s minority Muslim community. Reports frequently emerge of Hindu organisations targeting Muslims, economically boycotting them, and engaging in acts of harassment. The ruling BJP has been often criticized for fostering an environment that enables an anti-Muslim sentiment to proliferate.

In recent days, a series of videos featuring Ravinder Singh Negi, a BJP corporator from Vinod Nagar, Delhi, have drawn significant attention and criticism on social media platforms. These videos depict Negi harassing and threatening Muslim shopkeepers, forcing them to disclose their religious identities publicly. On one hand, Muslim shopkeepers are coerced to display their full names and religious affiliations on shop boards. On the other hand, Hindu shopkeepers are pressured to display saffron flags or other religious markers on their establishments. This identification, according to Negi, would allow customers to recognise the religious identity of shopkeepers. Negi is seen in multiple videos promoting conspiracy theories, such as Muslims allegedly spitting in food, referred to as ‘spit jihad.’ By perpetuating such narratives, Negi contributes to creating distrust, suspicion, and communal rifts between Hindus and Muslims. Such generalisations not only fuel hatred but also promote the economic marginalisation of Muslim shopkeepers.

Case 1

In one widely circulated video, Ravinder Singh Negi asks a street vendor his name. Initially, the vendor identifies himself as Guddu, a name common across both Hindu and Muslim communities. However, Negi insists on having the vendor’s full name and religion. The vendor reveals that he is a Muslim and confirms that his Aadhaar card also lists his name as Guddu. Negi then threatens the vendor, stating that he must put up a board with his full name in front of his cart or risk having the cart confiscated. During the exchange, Negi makes unsubstantiated claims, alleging that members of “other communities” spit in food products such as paneer and milk and wash items with contaminated drain water. He also instructs nearby shopkeepers to display saffron flags on their shops to identify them as Hindu-owned establishments. 

There have been many cases where Hindu organisations and people associated with the BJP have pressured Muslim shopkeepers and vendors to write their names outside their shops and threatened them with dire consequences. There are deep implications behind the pressure put by Hindu organisations on shopkeepers, street vendors, etc. to place name plates on their shops, as it acts as a tool for social and economic exclusion. The ability to identify a shopkeeper’s religion through his name can lead to economic boycotting on the basis of religious affiliation. Its effects can be so dangerous that in many parts of India, names are often associated with caste-based surnames, the policy of displaying names is also capable of promoting caste-based discrimination and the evil practice of untouchability, which can lead to customers making shopping decisions based on the caste of the shopkeeper, which is contrary to the values ​​of the Indian constitution. 

Case 2

पटपड़गंज विधानसभा के मंडावली वार्ड में तोमर डेरी हिंदू नाम रखा है पर उसका असली नाम मुस्लिम नाम है, और हमने कहा कि आप अपना असली नाम रखिए हिंदू नाम रखकर हिंदुओं के साथ क्यों खिलवाड़ कर रहे हैं पटपड़गंज विधानसभा में बिल्कुल भी इस तरह की दुकान हम नहीं चलने देंगे जो हिंदू नाम रख रहे… pic.twitter.com/TtSLNZJCV9

— Ravinder Singh Negi (@ravinegi4bjp) September 27, 2024

In another incident that took place in Chander Vihar, Delhi, Negi approached the owner of a shop named ‘Tomar Dairy’ and demanded to know his name and religion. The shopkeeper introduced himself as Altamash Tomar and confirmed that he was a Muslim. Negi then questioned why the shop bore the name ‘Tomar’, a surname often associated with Hindu communities. He pressured the shopkeeper to replace the name with one that would clearly indicate his Muslim identity. Negi went on to threaten that failure to follow this would result in the shop being forcibly shut down.

Case 3

पटपड़गंज विधानसभा के विनोद नगर में रावल पनीर भंडार के नाम से दुकान खोली है, पर उनका असली नाम मोहम्मद अयान खान है, हमने उनसे कहा कि अपने हिंदू नाम क्यों रखा है, अगर आपने डेरी चलानी है,तो अपना मुस्लिम नाम रखिए आपको परेशानी क्या है, तो उन्होंने तुरंत कहना माना और उन्होंने कहा कि कल… pic.twitter.com/IzxW1SxPRu

— Ravinder Singh Negi (@ravinegi4bjp) September 24, 2024

In a similar incident in Patparganj, Delhi, Negi targeted a shop called “Rawal Paneer Bhandar.” Upon questioning, the shopkeeper revealed his name as Mohammad Ayaan. Negi then ordered the shopkeeper to remove the existing shop banner and replace it with a name that explicitly identified him as a Muslim. 

There are numerous such videos in which Negi is forcing Muslim shopkeepers to write their names outside their shops and Hindu shopkeepers are being asked to put religious flags on their shops, so that people can identify that these are Hindu shops and receive more visitors.

Case 4

In this video, Negi is seen questioning vegetable vendors, asking them their names and religious affiliations. Hindu vendors are told to display saffron flags on their carts as a marker of their religious identity. Once again, Negi repeats the conspiracy theory about spitting in food items like cheese and milk.

Case 5

In another case, Negi checked the name of a juice shop owner through a digital payment app. Upon confirming that the owner was a Muslim, Negi demanded that the shopkeeper displayed a board with his name in front of the shop. Negi argued that this was necessary for “people who observe fasts” to know the identity of the shop owner before purchasing food or drinks.

Case 6

Similar to the previous incident, Negi visited a paneer shop, checked the owner’s name through a payment app, and confirmed that the shopkeeper was a Muslim. He then ordered the shopkeeper to put up a sign explicitly identifying himself as a Muslim so that Hindu customers could identify him as one.

Case 7

In another incident, Negi approached Rizwan, the Muslim owner of a shop named ‘New Haryana Paneer Bhandar’. He demanded that Rizwan put up a board displaying his name to ensure customers were aware of his religious identity. 

Negi’s harassment of Muslim shopkeepers continued during Hindu religious festivals and periods, like the month of Sawan, Chhatth Puja and Navratri. He also has videos featuring him doing so on his social media. 

Case 8

A day before Chhath Puja, Negi visited a Muslim-run meat shop and demanded that it remain closed due to the festival happening the next day, citing the religious sensitivities of Hindus passing in processions through the area.

Case 9

During the Kanwar Yatra, Negi approached another Muslim meat shop owner and ordered that the shop remained closed the following day as Hindu devotees would be performing rituals.

Case 10

During Navratri, Negi pressured fish and meat shopkeepers to shut their shops. In a video, he is heard threatening the vendors, saying, “I have to stay here for five years. If you obey me, you will be able to work peacefully.”

In July 2024, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered all hotels located along the Kanwar Yatra route to display boards with the owners’ names. Likewise, BJP-ruled Ujjain Municipal Corporation and officials in Uttarakhand issued orders requiring shop owners to display nameplates in Ujjain. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami defended this, citing instances of shop owners using fake names.

However, the Supreme Court intervened taking a strong stance against such measures. The court ruled that while shop owners can be instructed to provide information about the type of food they sold, they could not be compelled to disclose their names or religious identities.

Many street vendors and shopkeepers across India are already marginalised, migrating from rural areas to urban centers in search of livelihood. Forcing them to disclose their religious or caste identities exposes them to the risk of economic boycott and social discrimination, which could have severe consequences on their livelihoods and the overall social fabric of a local community. 

Related