9 BJP workers booked for assaulting, abusing vegetable vendors in Mumbai

Nine Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers have been booked by the Mumbai police for assaulting and abusing Muslim vendors in a Dadar vegetable market area.

The incident occurred on April 26. Led by BJP leader Akshata Tendulkar, the group selectively targeted Muslim vendors, slapping, punching blows and hurling abuses at them in Marathi.

“Teri m** k*.. bench*d.. Hinduo ko meraga? Kashmir mein marega? (You mother****…Will you kill Hindus…you will kill us? Will you kill us in Kashmir?),” a BJP worker is heard saying in a video which emerged on social media on Monday, April 28.

Later, Tendulkar alleged that the vendors hailed from Murshidabad in West Bengal. “They come from Murshidabad here and target Hindus,” she is heard saying in Marathi.

Murshidabad witnessed violent clashes between police and Muslims who were protesting against the newly implemented Waqf Amendment Act, resulting in the death of three people, including a 21-year-old Muslim man. Over 110 individuals were arrested in connection with the violence.

Based on a complaint from Saurabh Mishra, Mumbai police booked cases against Tendulkar and eight others.