Mumbai: Mumbai Police registered a case against nine BJP workers, including Akshata Tendulkar, president of the Mahim Assembly constituency, for allegedly abusing and assaulting Muslim hawkers in the Dadar market area. The complaint was filed by a hawker named Saurabh Mishra at the Shivaji Park police station, as per reports on Sunday.
According to reports citing Mishra’s complaint, the incident took place on Thursday evening near the busy Rangoli store in Dadar. Mishra alleged that Tendulkar and her associates approached hawkers in the area and began questioning them about their religion.
Watch the video of the alleged altercation here:
Mishra stated that one of his employees, Sofiyan Shahid Ali, was specifically targeted. “They asked my worker his name. When they realized he was Muslim, they started abusing and assaulting him. Ali tried to flee, but they chased him down and beat him again,” Mishra said, while speaking to the Indian Express. A video of the alleged altercation has surfaced on the internet.
Case Filed At Shivaji Park Police Station
Following the complaint, Shivaji Park police registered a case under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including 189(2) (threatening injury), 191(2) (causing hurt), 115(2) (abetment), 351(2) (assault), and 352 (punishment for assault or criminal force), as well as sections 37(1) and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 5, Ganesh Gawde confirmed that an investigation is currently underway.
Akshata Tendulkar Defends Actions
Meanwhile, Akshata Tendulkar defended her actions while speaking to a news channel. She claimed that their campaign was not against any particular religion but was aimed at identifying illegal immigrants from Bangladesh operating in the market. Tendulkar alleged that despite repeated complaints to the police about illegal Bangladeshi nationals selling fruits and vegetables in the area using forged Indian documents, no firm action had been taken.
Akshata Tendulkar reportedly informed that they had urged the police to take strong action against illegal immigrants who had acquired fake Indian documents. She mentioned that local residents were frustrated and questioning the authorities due to the lack of action. On Thursday, the group conducted a survey to identify the locations where Muslim hawkers were working and explore potential solutions to the situation. She also stated that their intention was to address the issue of illegal immigration, not to target any community.
