KOLKATA: Two persons who have been selling chicken puffs in the Esplanade area for years lodged FIRs on Tuesday alleging that a few men assaulted them, hurled religious abuses at them and threw away the food for selling non-veg items to those who had gathered for the mass recital of Gita on the Maidan on Sunday.
Sk Riyajul, 50, one of the assaulted men, mentioned in the FIR that "eight-nine unknown people, including a disabled man," attacked him. Md Salauddin, 60, alleged in his FIR that "two-three persons" attacked him.
A video of Riyajul being attacked went viral on social media. He told reporters before entering Maidan police station, "They came and asked me, ‘Do you have chicken puffs?'. As soon as I mentioned my name, they threw away the puffs. They also assaulted me. They asked, ‘Why are you selling chicken puffs here?'"
Riyajul, a resident of Arambag in Hooghly, said he tried to reason with the group. "I told them that I sell chicken puffs for a living. I had food worth Rs 3,000. They threw everything away. They hit me on my ears and shoulders. I told the staff at SSKM Hospital today that I was still in pain. I am taking medicines."
He said this was the first time since he started selling snacks in the Esplanade area around 20 years ago that he faced such an attack.
Riyajul wrote in the FIR, "The attackers slapped me and rained blows on me, threatened me with dire consequence and deliberately outraged my religious sentiments by uttering insulting and malicious words."
Md Salauddin, a Tiljala Road resident, mentioned similar allegations in his FIR.
CPM leader and lawyer Sayan Banerjee lodged a separate complaint on the incident. "I saw the video on social media. We have seen such incidents happen in states like Uttar Pradesh, not Bengal. I decided to file a police complaint," he said.
"Both FIRs have been drawn up under non-bailable sections and against unknown persons. We are sending the footage (of the viral video) to forensic experts. We have recorded the statements of both victims," said a police officer.
DCP (south) Priyobrata Roy said the FIRs were registered at Maidan police station.
Reacting to the incident, Trinamool leaders accused BJP of trying to impose a ban on non-veg food in Bengal.
"Those who don't eat non-veg food can choose not to buy it. But why assault the seller? They earn their livelihood by selling various items there. This is unacceptable," Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.
Bengal finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said, "Those who are reading Gita should understand its core message. What does Gita say? It delivers the message of moving forward with everyone and loving everyone. On the one hand, there is Gita recital, and on the other, a poor person who is selling chicken patties to earn a living is being assaulted."
BJP's Locket Chatterjee dismissed the allegations, saying, "It's all a conspiracy. BJP has no connection with the incident."
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