Mumbai : Mumbai Police have registered a case against nine BJP workers, including Mahim Assembly president Akshata Tendulkar, for allegedly abusing and assaulting Muslim hawkers at Dadar market area. The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday evening, reported the Indian Express.
According to a complaint filed by hawker Saurabh Mishra, Tendulkar and her eight associates approached hawkers outside the Rangoli store in Dadar and asked them if they were Muslims. Mishra alleged that the group assaulted one of his Muslim workers, Sofiyan Shahid Ali.
“They asked Ali his name, and upon confirming he was Muslim, they abused and assaulted him. When Ali tried to flee, they chased and attacked him again,” Mishra claimed.
Tendulkar, however, defended the group’s actions in a statement to a news channel, claiming that they were demanding action against alleged Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in India with forged documents. She stated that despite repeated complaints to the authorities about the presence of undocumented immigrants selling fruits and vegetables, no action was taken.
“We had requested the police to act against Bangladeshi nationals operating illegally. Local residents were questioning why no action had been taken by BMC and the police. On Thursday, we conducted a round to identify where Muslim vendors were working and discussed possible solutions,” Tendulkar said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 5, Ganesh Gawde, confirmed that a case has been registered at Shivaji Park police station under sections 189(2), 191(2), 115(2), 351(2), and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 37(1) and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act. Investigation into the matter is ongoing.
