{"id":293274,"date":"2024-12-21T12:05:55","date_gmt":"2024-12-21T06:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=293274"},"modified":"2024-12-21T12:08:08","modified_gmt":"2024-12-21T06:38:08","slug":"bjp-leader-ravinder-singh-negi-forced-shopkeepers-to-put-their-name-religion-on-board","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/bjp-leader-ravinder-singh-negi-forced-shopkeepers-to-put-their-name-religion-on-board\/","title":{"rendered":"Threats, conspiracy claims, closure orders: How Delhi BJP neta Ravinder Negi tyrannizes Muslim vendors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since the Narendra Modi-led NDA government assumed power, India has witnessed a noticeable rise in Hindutva-driven forces<\/a>. Hindutva as an ideology advocates for India to be defined primarily as a Hindu nation. This has coincided with an increase in hate crimes and hostility toward the country\u2019s minority Muslim community. Reports frequently emerge of Hindu organisations targeting Muslims, economically boycotting them, and engaging in acts of harassment. The ruling BJP has been often criticized for fostering an environment that enables an anti-Muslim sentiment to proliferate.<\/span><\/p>\n

In recent days, a series of videos featuring Ravinder Singh Negi, a BJP corporator from Vinod Nagar, Delhi, have drawn significant attention and criticism on social media platforms. These videos depict Negi harassing and threatening Muslim shopkeepers, forcing them to disclose their religious identities publicly. On one hand, Muslim shopkeepers are coerced to display their full names and religious affiliations on shop boards. On the other hand, Hindu shopkeepers are pressured to display saffron flags or other religious markers on their establishments. This identification, according to Negi, would allow customers to recognise the religious identity of shopkeepers. <\/span>Negi is seen in multiple videos promoting conspiracy theories, such as Muslims allegedly spitting in food, referred to as \u2018spit jihad.\u2019 By perpetuating such narratives, Negi contributes to creating distrust, suspicion, and communal rifts between Hindus and Muslims. Such generalisations not only fuel hatred but also promote the economic marginalisation of Muslim shopkeepers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Case 1<\/b><\/p>\n

In one widely circulated video, Ravinder Singh Negi asks a street vendor his name. Initially, the vendor identifies himself as Guddu, a name common across both Hindu and Muslim communities. However, Negi insists on having the vendor\u2019s full name and religion. The vendor reveals that he is a Muslim and confirms that his Aadhaar card also lists his name as Guddu. Negi then threatens the vendor, stating that he must put up a board with his full name in front of his cart or risk having the cart confiscated. During the exchange, Negi makes unsubstantiated claims, alleging that members of \u201cother communities\u201d spit in food products such as paneer and milk and wash items with contaminated drain water. He also instructs nearby shopkeepers to display saffron flags on their shops to identify them as Hindu-owned establishments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n