Chicken puff vendors brutally assaulted near Esplanade Gita event; Political row brews in Kolkata

New Delhi: A day of spiritual contemplation in Kolkata's iconic Esplanade area took a disturbing turn on Sunday as two long-standing chicken puff vendors were allegedly assaulted. They were subjected to religious slurs and the destruction of their stall by a group of men. The attackers reportedly targeted the sellers for daring to offer non-vegetarian food to attendees of a mass Bhagavad Gita recital on the Maidan.

The incident saw one of the assaults captured in a widely circulated social media video, has prompted a formal police complaint and ignited a fresh political debate in West Bengal.

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SK Riyajul, 50, a vendor who has plied his trade in Esplanade for two decades, lodged an FIR detailing how "eight-nine unknown people, including a disabled man," assaulted him. Md Salauddin,60, another veteran vendor, filed a separate complaint, alleging an attack by "two to three persons."

Before entering the Maidan police station, Riyajul recounted the garrowing experience to reporters. "They came and asked me, 'Do you have chicken puff?". 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, who hails from Arambag in Hooghly district, tried to reason with his assailants, explaining that selling chicken puffs was his sole means of income. His pleas fell on deaf ears. "I had food worth Rs 3000. They threw everything away," he said, adding that he suffered blows to his ears and shoulders. He later informed staff at SSKM Hospital of persistent pain and is now on medication. He expressed shock, stating it was the first time in his 20 years of vending in the area that he had faced such an attack.

In his formal complaint, Riyajul mentioned the intensity of the assault, mentioning," the attackers slapped me and rained blows on me, threatened me with dire consequences and delibrately outraged my religious sentiments by uttering  insulting and malicious words." Md Salauddin, a resident of Tiljala Road, echoed similar allegations in his own FIR.

The incident quickly drew condemnation from various quarters. CPM leader and lawyer Sayan Banerjee took the initiative to lodge a third, separate complaint after witnessing the viral video. "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 stated, highlighting what he perceived as an alarming shift in Bengal's social fabric.

Kolkata Police confirmed the registration of both vendors' FIRs at the Maidan police station. "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," a police officer involved in the investigation confirmed, as stated by DCP (south) Priyobrata Roy.

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) swiftly reacted, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to impose a ban on non-vegetarian food in the state. Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh sharply criticised the act. "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," he said.

Bengal finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya also weighed in, appealing to the spirit of the scripture. "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."

In response, BJP leader Locket Chatterjee dismissed the allegations, categorising the incident as a "conspiracy" and firmly denying any connection of her party to the assault.

The police investigation is ongoing, as authorities work to identify the assailants and bring them to justice, while the incident continues to fuel a tense political and social discourse over religious tolerance and livelihood rights in West Bengal.