The saffron brigade’s distaste for non-vegetarian food has now targeted a famed fish market in Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park Bengali enclave, where vendors were told to shut shop as the outlets were close to a temple that was ironically built by the traders themselves.
A video shared by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on social media on Tuesday showed two saffron-clad men making a case before the shopkeepers for the shutdown by citing Sanatan Dharma. The men in the video claim that the fish market, which shares a wall with the temple, was compromising the sanctity of the shrine and hurting religious sentiments.
Moitra posted a series of statements on X, accusing BJP workers of threatening Bengali fish vendors.
The temple adjoining the fish market.
“Please watch saffron brigade BJP goons threaten fish-eating Bengalis of Chittaranjan Park, Delhi. Never in 60 years has this happened, residents say,” Moitra said in one of her posts.
“The temple in CR Park that BJP goons are laying claim to was built by the non-veg market vendors. They pray there — the big pujas are held there. Three months of BJP rule in Delhi. A good anniversary present,” she posted.
In another post, she shared a WhatsApp message from a local who described the situation as “terrible” due to the “forced closure” of meat and fish shops. Crackdowns on meat shops that coincide with Hindu festivals have intensified in the capital since the BJP came to power earlier this year.
“Terrorising Hindu fishmongers into shutting legal shops next to a temple they built — BJP goons caught on video but not yet arrested. Hello @DelhiPolice — Or are we all supposed to eat dhoklas and chant Jai Shri Ram?” Moitra said.
The two fish markets at CR Park were set up in 1971. There are around 27 shops in market 1 and 10-12 shops in market 2. Market 1 shares a wall with a Kali temple that was built by the shopkeepers themselves.
“We have been selling fish here for many years. Never faced any issue for doing our business so close to the temple,” said a fish vendor.
“If you want to shift the market, you can shift it but don’t give it a political colour. You can’t separate fish from the food culture of the Bengali people,” another seller said.
Raja Chatterjee, a resident of CR Park since 1974, said fish shops in market 1 existed much before the temple was built by the fish vendors.
Fish seller Sanjiv Roy said they had permission from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to run the markets.
“Those who eat fish don’t have a problem, but those who don’t eat have an issue,” Sanjiv Bhattarcharya, the temple’s priest, said.
“Why should one object to CR Park fish market-1? We all are Sanatani. Fish from the Ganga are used in pujas,” he said, wondering why the liquor shops near the temple were not being shut down.
“Our family eats fish every alternate day. There is no restriction on eating fish even during festivals. Fish is a staple for Bengalis,” a buyer told this reporter at the market.
Questioning the authenticity of the video, the BJP accused Moitra of attempting to disrupt communal harmony in the national capital and demanded a probe against her.
Shikha Rai, the BJP MLA from Greater Kailash-1, posted on X that Moitra’s claim was a malicious campaign aimed at maligning the BJP and asked her to refrain from making such “reckless” allegations without verifying facts.
“It is deeply unfortunate that some individuals choose to spread misinformation for political gain,” she said.
However, senior advocate Sanjay Hegde thanked Moitra for highlighting the issue. “In Calcutta, meat and fish are offered to Goddess Kali at the Kalighat Kali Temple as mahaprasad almost everyday. What are they teaching us? Next thing they will target is Durga Puja pandals where non-veg is available every year,” he said.
AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj said these fish shops were allotted by the DDA and were not illegal. “If the BJP had a problem with CR Park Bengalis eating fish, they should have said so in their manifesto. Bengalis at CR Park are one of the most educated communities in Delhi. Their sentiments and eating habits must be respected. I am a vegetarian and I never had any problem with their eating habits. Why is the BJP creating problems in such a peaceful area?” Bhardwaj said.
Delhi police said they had not received any complaint, but were verifying facts.