CR Park political slugfest: ‘If fish market besides a temple was a problem for people, could it have survived for 60 yrs’

She had alleged the men were associated with the BJP. The BJP, however, had denied the charges.

The video shared by Moitra was posted on an Instagram account called ‘The Rashtra Dharma’. Some videos posted on the channel are critical of the AAP while others show a group of men defacing signage in Central Delhi – posters that read Maharana Pratap Road were pasted on signage for Akbar Road.

“We have been in the market for almost 40 years. If they remove us, where will we go… We pray at the temple in the morning and then open our shops” Jaideep said.

Sujit Das (38), who owns one of the oldest shops in the market, sees the issue as nothing but politics as West Bengal elections are scheduled next year. “Since yesterday, we have been assured by leaders from all parties that nothing will happen to the market,” he said.

“These people have come twice to this market: once on March 11 or 12 and the second time in the middle of Navratri, on April 5 or 6,” said Dibiendu Das (46), who owns the oldest shop in the fish market. “They were saying we are Sanatanis. I told them, I am also a Sanatani.”

“If people had a problem with a fish market being located besides a temple, could it have survived for 60 years,” asked Sanjib Bhattacharya (60), a priest at the Kali temple since 2000.

Chittaranjan Park, popularly known as C R Park, is a South Delhi locality with predominantly Bengali residents, which was set up to accommodate refugees.

In a video posted on X on Wednesday, Moitra said, “You can see how, in broad daylight, with complete impunity and audacity, the BJP’s goons are threatening shopkeepers and telling them they can’t have their shops in CR Park… Is the BJP going to tell us what we are going to eat and where we should have our shops?”

Speaking to The Indian Express, she added, “See the audacity of those goons in the market. We have a constitutional right. Why have those goons not been arrested? Why have the goons not been identified… To live in this country, will we now have to eat only dhoklas, mushrooms, makhana, and chant Jai Shri Ram thrice a day?”

Slamming the BJP, Moitra said, “We have always maintained that the BJP isn’t for Hindus. These are Hindu shopkeepers being terrorised.”
In response to Moitra’s post, former MLA from Greater Kailash and Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj said: “These fish shops were allotted by DDA, this is not any illegal encroachment. If BJP had problem with CR Park Bengalis eating fish, they should have said so in their manifesto.”

A senior Delhi Police officer said the men in the video are yet to be identified. “We have not received any complaints against the men so far, but we are looking into the matter,” the officer added.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva had on Tuesday asked the police to take strict action against the culprits.

“Everyone should respect the sanctity of temples, and here at CR Park, fish market traders have always respected temples. Fish markets have been legally allotted and are needed in the area. The fish traders maintain a high level of cleanliness in the area and take regular part in the socio-religious activities of CR Park,” he had said.

“The video posted on social media by Mohua Moitra seems to have been tailored by people with vested political interests to disturb community harmony in CR Park. We strongly condemn the incident and request Delhi Police to take stern action,” he added.