Videos showing Muslim vendors being asked for ID verification have surfaced from Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan, with several incidents raising concerns over discrimination and restrictions on livelihoods.
In Ahmedabad, a Muslim vendor was allegedly forced to leave a Hindu-majority locality by men said to be linked to Bajrang Dal. The incident reportedly took place on April 8 and came to light on April 12 after a video circulated on social media.
The video shows men wearing saffron scarves approaching the vendor and asking him to show his Aadhaar card. After learning his name was Shahjan, one of the men is heard asking, “Kya kar rahe ho bhai? Aapka naam kya hai?” (What are you doing here? What is your name?).
When the vendor identified himself, he was further questioned about working in a “Hindu locality”. The video appears to show the men asking him to leave the area, warning that only Hindus should operate there. The group is also seen approaching other vendors and asking them not to sell in the locality.
Muslim Vendors Asked for ID Verification in Ludhiana Video
A similar incident was reported from Ludhiana earlier this month. A video widely shared on social media shows a man confronting a Muslim band player, identified as Irfan, and asking him to produce identification documents.
According to a report by Siasat.com, Irfan had travelled from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh and was playing musical instruments in the locality. In the video, the man is heard asking him to show his Aadhaar card and state where he was from.
After learning about his background, the man is heard asking whether Irfan had obtained “police verification” to continue working. He is also heard warning the vendor against returning to the area, stating that the matter could otherwise be taken to the police station.
In another incident in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan, a vendor named Salim, who had travelled from Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh, was allegedly stopped while attempting to work in Baishpada village.
Salim and his associate were reportedly prevented from working and asked to show identity cards. The video appears to show a man telling them they would need a written permit from the police station to operate in the village.
“Only if you have an identity card can you work in our village,” the man is heard saying in the video.
There was no immediate response from local police in the three cases.
The incidents have drawn attention to what appears to be informal “verification” demands directed at migrant and Muslim vendors across different regions.
