BJP MLA's son urges employers to sack Muslim employees, Hindu traders join protest against remark
Indore: Protests erupted in Indore after BJP MLA Malini Gaur’s son, Eklavya Singh Gaur, allegedly urged local shopkeepers to remove their Muslim employees, sparking outrage among traders and opposition parties.
Muslim shopkeepers, joined by their Hindu partners, marched from Bajaj Khana Chowk to Rajbada on Wednesday, carrying placards and asserting their constitutional rights. Protesters raised slogans such as “Is being a Muslim our fault?” and “What will you gain by disrupting Hindu-Muslim unity?”
Mohammad Gulzar, a trader with 35 years of experience in the market, said: “We are being pushed out only because we are Muslims. Why are we being targeted despite being rightful citizens of this country?”
Several Hindu shopkeepers also opposed the move. Balwant Singh Rathore, who demonstrated alongside his Muslim business partner Mohd Haroon, stressed the importance of communal harmony: “They should be given equal opportunities to earn a living.” Haroon added that both communities had always lived, traded, and progressed together.
The Seetlamata Market, usually bustling, appeared deserted on September 25 after Muslim vendors and workers were reportedly forced out, leading to a sharp decline in customer turnout.
Civil rights groups expressed concern over police summoning Muslim traders who participated in the silent protest march. Advocate Zaid Pathan, President of the Association of the Muslim Community, alleged that the action came under pressure from right-wing forces.
The opposition Congress party accused Gaur of attempting to polarise the city. City Congress president Chintu Chouksey demanded strict action, stating: “This is a deliberate attempt to disturb communal harmony. We have demanded an FIR and legal proceedings.”
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ED searches: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses Centre of targeting Cong leaders
Chamarajanagara (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday accused the central government and its agencies of consistently targeting Congress members by using searches on their properties, and questioned why similar action is not taken against BJP leaders.
He was reacting to searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate on Monday on several individuals, among them the sons of Karnataka Congress MLA N A Haris and the grandson of former Union Cabinet minister K Rahman Khan, in connection with a cryptocurrency-linked money laundering case.
"The central government always targets Congress leaders. Will they raid the houses of BJP leaders?" Siddaramaiah said in response to a question. More than a dozen premises in the city were searched as part of the operation carried out by the ED under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The premises searched comprised those of Mohammed Haris Nalapad and Omar Farook Nalapad, the sons of the MLA; Aqeeb Khan, the grandson of veteran Congress leader K Rahman Khan; and an alleged crypto hacker, Srikrishna Ramesh, alias Sriki, officials said.
The money laundering case stems from Karnataka Police FIRs and charge sheets filed in a 2017 case involving the hacking of national and international websites, theft of bitcoins, and the sale of these stolen virtual digital assets (VDAs) through crypto platforms by the alleged hacker Sriki and his associates.
Mohammed Haris Nalapad, Omar Farook Nalapad, and Aqeeb Khan are alleged to be beneficiaries of the proceeds of crime generated through this crypto-linked activity, officials added.
