'Targeting Rozi-Roti' — Why BJP's Ravi Negi Wants Muslims to Show Names on Shops

(Reporting on communalism and hate crimes is a key focus area in The Quint's reportage. You can become part of this by supporting our Uncovering Hate project.)"What Ravi Negi is doing is right, if you want to do run a shop, why should you hide your identity?" said Sunil Chauhan who owns a medical store in Mandawli, Patparganj in East Delhi. He said this while a Muslim, a visible one with a skullcap on, sat right across to him. The next moment, he got up and left as Sunil explained why Negi's tactics against Muslim shops mean "no harm."Such is the sentiment Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s councilor Ravinder Singh Negi has tried to establish and spread in Patparganj seat this year. How? By making frequent and concerted efforts demanding Muslim-owned businesses to display their names. Moreover, he asks Hindu street vendors to display 'bhagwa' flags to show they're proud 'Hindus' or 'Sanatani.'In East Delhi, his actions represent, not a hypothetical, but a palpable reality where livelihoods of Muslims are being jeapordized and radicalisation is being encouraged.The Quint tracked down some shop-owners who have been at the receiving end of his actions and also met with the man himself, Ravi Negi.You can read more such stories covered by this reporter here.This story was also referenced in a recent petition filed in the Supreme Court by Advocates Talha Abdul Rahman and Faizan Ahmad on this issue. For now, the Court has ordered them to approach the relevant authorities and wait for police action.Mediapart’s Report on OCCRP Misrepresented by BJP; Org Calls it 'Fake News'Altmas Chaudhary had operated his dairy shop for barely two months when he encountered Negi at his shop in September this year. While the shop has existed for almost three years, it was difficult to track it down. To my surprise, it was because Chaudhary gave a whole new look to his shop — including the name.When Ravi Negi visited us he told us to change the name or else our shop will be seized. He accused us of running our shop under a more 'Hindu-sounding name' — Tomar Dairy. He told us to change it into something like Muslim Paneer Bhandar. First, I had added my name alongside Tomar but then changed it altogether to prevent any such instance with Negi or their Party in future.Altmas Chaudhary to The QuintChaudhary noted that are several such areas in Delhi where Hindu-owned shops function smoothly in Muslim-majority neighbourhoods such as Seelampur, Jaffrabad, etc. "They are never questioned or harassed like this, then why us?" he asked.In the reel that Negi posted, he wrote, 'Muslim is in a Hindu-name shop.'However, Zaid, his relative who handed over the shop to Chaudhary strongly objected and said, "Tomars are also converted Muslims. The shop was set up by me, I got another job in Noida so I gave my shop to him. Muslims also share many such surnames — Chauhan, Tomar, Chaudhary, etc."Chaudhary said that a local in the society reportedly filed a complaint against him thereafter which Negi stopped his frequent visits. He passed by his shop some time ago and told him he had done the right thing. But Zaid wished he did not do it."I didn't want him to cave in and change the name. Negi has a rude and obnoxious way of talking. He gave it a communal spin himself. That was his objective, he just wants to show which are shops are owned by Muslims. His objective isn't out of goodwill," Zaid told The Quint.But there is also another aspect to Negi's deliberate targeting — to segregate the shops and propagate the 'thook' jihad narrative. Repeatedly, in a lot of videos, he can be heard saying to Hindu locals and even Muslims: "We should be able to know who owns which shop, some people also spit in their food, hence people should know."He goes around to shops and tells people to display names lest they buy from Muslims who ‘spit’ in the food. How is he saying all this casually? Why would anyone want to spit in their food, their rozi-roti?Altmas Chaudhary to The Quint'Forgive Everyone': Muslim Bangle Seller, Fake Allegations & Battle for Justice Some kilometers away from A1 Dairy, nestled in one of the lanes in West Vinod Nagar is 'New Garhwal Paneer Va Bhava Bhandar.' After Negi's visit, Asad Ahmed, the owner of the shop added his own name and number on the banner and counter.Asad stated that he had also met the local police to resolve the issue and it was eventually decided that he add his name and nobody would bother him then. "Around 95% of the paneer that comes in Delhi is by Muslims, Hindu or Muslim, most locals buy dairy products from us," he said.There was no notice from Centre or PM Modi and I have my license for the shop which has my name and Garhwal Paneer written on it. He does all these things and then will go on and say that he doesn't do Hindu-Muslim. Garhwal is the name of a place, how is that a problem?Asad Ahmed to The QuintWhen The Quint visited the shop, we met Akram Ahmed, a relative of Asad. The harassment did not end with Negi's visit as videos posted by Negi mostly reveal the phone numbers of these shops and put them at a larger risk."Our numbers on the banner were also visible in videos Negi posted. We got many calls, people giving us threats to change the names, even abusing us. “Thook laga ke paneer bechte ho” and saying things about Islam. All of it, unprovoked," recounted Akram.Zaid had also faced a similar calls. He stated that he got both "negative" and "positive" calls. "While some called to give us threats, others were concerned and told us to change the name immediately," Zaid noted.'QR Code Shows He's Muslim’ — Online Platforms Leave Vendors, Workers VulnerableThe dairy shops owned by Muslims were not the only target of Negi. It also included the meat shops in the area, predominantly owned by Muslims.The videos circulating online make it clear that Negi wants them to shut their shops during the Navratri season. But there was more to it. For example, Shadab at the Fresh Chicken and Fish shop told The Quint that long after Navratri was over, Negi has checked the shops and instructed them that the chicken should not be seen on the periphery of the shops."When he visited us, he accused us of being dirty and not keeping our space clean. You see for yourself, everything is locked in, kept in its place, there is bound to be smell of meat because we sell the same. But it’s not dirty.Shadab to The QuintTalking about Negi's demeanor, Shadab continued, "It’s like he’s jealous of us, when he visits our shops, he has a certain expression which is different viz a viz when he visits any Hindu shopkeeper or vendor. Muslim se bilkul chidhte hain."Few meters away is Ali Ahmed's chicken shop running since over 15 years. With precision, he cut a piece of meat when we entered.Ali said that he started putting the chickens inside the shop too because they were told that if they did not, they would be charged a fine. But the real hit to his earning is when he asks them to shut down the shops."During Navratri too, we closed our shop for 9-10 days when he told us to. We sat home for those days, how will a person earn and eat? Who is compensating for our livelihood then?" said Ali.Meanwhile, somewhere in Vinod Nagar market, in front of a local mosque, is Shama Muradabadi Chicken Corner which also faced similar instructions from Negi."Negi told us that the patila should be kept inside and it should not visible. Look at it, it’s all covered and how does it bother anyone? So we started putting the patila inside, a few of them are permanently kept above on the other floor because we don’t know when he might come and object," said Saleem.*In Mandawli, there is 'Gulshan chicken and fish halal meat shop' by Anwar Ali. Negi had also given him the same instructions: close the shop, keep utensils, chicken inside.The Quint also met Syed Sajjad Ali Zaidi, President Mohalla Sudhar Committee, Congress. An ex-AAP worker, Zaidi has cumulatively worked with Congress for over 50 years now.These shops have come up in front of me. What Negi is doing is insolence, a disease. I am keeping an eye out for these shops and informed the dairy and meat shop-owners to inform me if he objects again. I've taken it up with the police before in Anwar's case and I will again if I have to.Syed Sajjad Ali Zaidi, Congress to The QuintNext to Anwar's shop is 'Uzair T Stall.' Shahrukh Khan, one of the shopkeepers said, "Negi is a vegetarian himself, so it bothers him. Never before has this happened here, but he always picks at scrap dealers and those who sell meat here." There's also another reason behind it, he said.In this block in the last elections, people voted for AAP and Congress, this is also why he targets these areas more, like vengeance or an intentional target. Albeit most customers of meat and dairy products are Hindus here.Shahrukh Khan, shopkeeper to The QuintSome steps away from this stall is a medical shop owned by Sunil Chauhan who concurs with Negi. "My name is Sunil, if tomorrow I write the name ‘Saleem’ on my shop, then isn’t that wrong? It’s misguiding," he told The Quint.Sunil believes that Muslims keeping certain names on the shops and the QR code scanner showing a different name is unfair to others. This is also pretty much the line of argument taken by Negi.Another local at his shop butted in while we spoke and added, "I am also a Hindu and I don’t eat at Mohammedans (Muslims). So I should know whose shop it is. It’s my preference."In street number nine in Vinod Nagar is Negi's office. At the time of our visit, Negi was just getting done with an interview and was surrounded by party workers and a police official.Negi asserted that his efforts are part of 'Jan Jagrukta Abhiyan.' He said: Warna toh hum toh Muslims ki rediyo par bhi nai jaate. (Else I don't even go to shops and stalls of Muslims).On being questioned if it's on the basis of any official order, Negi said: "There’s no decision or notice by the government, I am checking them on the basis of complaints I’ve gotten from locals. They’ll operate with names like Garhwal Panner but then have a Muslim name, QR code also shows another name, so we are only telling them to show their true identity."The Quint asked Negi to show the written complaints he has received from people, but he said that he doesn't have the papers in this office with him.But he maintained the 'thook jihad' narrative, despite being countered that these instances have either been debunked as fake news/misinformation."Didn’t we see it happening in Loni? Spitting in food, washing vegetables in gutter water, things like that. This is about people’s sentiments. Our work is in public interest, there’s no hard and fast rule. We did not give any such warnings that we will charge a fine or close the shops," Negi added.Cleverly, he added, "I am not saying that 90% of Muslims are like this, but some are. The entire community is tarnished because of them, same with Hindus. People have linked my actions with religion."Most shopkeepers have countered Negi, such as Nadeem Malik, co-owner of Uzair T-stall."Locals don’t object to our shops, nor those living in gated societies. It’s just him. He makes excuses that he got complaints, it’s not true."Many on X platform (formerly Twitter) had drawn the analogy with Nazi regime when Jews were instructed to identify themselves to alienate them further. Ring a bell?Negi is hoping for a ticket ahead of Delhi Assembly elections in 2025. Patparganj is represented by former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia but he has now shifted to Jangpura seat in central Delhi. "Ticket or not, I will continue to work for BJP here." Considering this, the local Muslims fear that he might double down on his 'check' against Muslim owned-businesses.Instagram's New Reel Epidemic: How The 'Good Abduls' Are Manufactured And Sold(The Quint has also reached out to the local police and their response will be added once received).

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'Targeting Rozi-Roti' — Why BJP's Ravi Negi Wants Muslims to Show Names on Shops

"He accused us of having a Hindu-sounding name. I had to change the entire banner of my shop," said Altmas.

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