BENGALURU: In the backdrop of Muslim shopkeepers being prevented from setting up shops in and around temples during jatras, street vendors of Bengaluru have strongly condemned the communalisation attempts by right-wing organisations.
The Bangalore Pragatipara Beedhi Vyaparigala Sangha and other allied organisations deplored the intense communal assault on the livelihood of street vendors in Karnataka.
“The Vishwa Hindu Parishat is putting pressure on temple management committees and urging the State Government to ban non-Hindu traders from setting up shops during temple fairs, annual festivals and religious festivities. The various statements made by ministers clearly shows that the BJP government is complicit in this demand of the Sangh Parivar,” they said and reminded the government that street vendors face daily harassment at the hands of the civil authorities and the police.
They alleged that communal polarisation has been brewing for some time and now it has become a full-blown attack.
“A muslim ice-cream vendor was thrashed in Uppinangady in Mangaluru by a mob of communal goons at an annual temple fair. Recently, Hindu religious flags were hoisted on shops of Muslims in Vijayanagar, Bengaluru. But, the vendors remained united and the flags were removed."