Rampur (Uttar Pradesh): Muslim street vendors who have been setting up shop at the Jwalanagar area of Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur city for nearly three decades have claimed they were removed by administration to make way for Hindu businesses. The local MLA has denied this.
“We have sold clothes here since 1984. These shops are our only livelihood. Now, they are gone,” says Rashid*.
Rashid said that he and other street vendors like him who plied their trade from the Ram-Rahim Setu area received a notice from the municipality to fold up their shops on January 13. They had two days. Sellers like Rashid sell household items, toys and clothes.
After two days, he says, some had left in compliance with the notice. But on January 15, 12 officials from the municipal corporation and eight policemen arrived and destroyed the shops that were left, say Rashid and other vendors.
Rashid says that this sudden action took place even though he and others who had set up shop in the area had paid fees to the Municipal Corporation to run the street stalls.