Muslim shopkeeper harassed over store name in Uttarakhand, locals step in to stop mob |
New Delhi: A group of Hindutva workers allegedly harassed an elderly Muslim shopkeeper in Kotdwar, demanding that he change the name of his store, “Baba Shop,” on the grounds that it was “misleading.” The incident occurred in Patel Marg, a mixed-community market area in Uttarakhand’s Uttarakhand, located behind the local Jama Masjid.
According to videos that later surfaced online, the mob pressured the shop owner to either remove the word “Baba” from the signboard or conform to their idea of who could use such a name. “Yeh baba naam hatau aap, ya toh baba ban jao aap. (Remove the Baba name, or become a Baba yourself),” one of the men was heard saying.
As the confrontation escalated, nearby residents stepped in to defend the........