A Muslim woman has alleged that she faced religious discrimination after organisers of a Jain food festival in Mumbai allegedly asked her to remove her hijab or leave the venue despite running a vegetarian food stall.
The incident allegedly took place on Thursday at the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) in Worli. The allegations came to light after her relative, Mushtaq Ansari, shared a video on social media claiming that organisers asked his sister and wife to remove their burqas or leave the premises.
Speaking about the incident, the woman described it as one of the worst experiences she has faced while participating in food exhibitions.
“This is not my first time. I have put up my food stalls at several events. I was wearing a hijab and attending to my customers when one of the organisers told me to remove it,” she said.
‘They Accepted Our Stall Fee,’ Woman Says
The woman said there was no prior information that Muslims or women wearing hijab would not be allowed at the event.
“They took fees from us to set up the stall. If there was so much problem, then why did you take the money?” she asked.
She also alleged that some people photographed and recorded her and her family without their consent.
‘All My Food Was Vegetarian and Eggless’
The woman said she had respected the religious beliefs of the Jain community by ensuring that all food served at her stall was completely vegetarian and eggless.
“I understand the religious sentiments of the Jain community, and hence all my food items are eggless and vegetarian. This is no way of treating someone,” she said.
No Response From Organisers Yet
As of the time of publishing, the organisers of the Jain food festival had not publicly responded to the allegations. There has also been no official statement from the authorities regarding the incident.
