A street vendor selling chicken patties was allegedly beaten and harassed by a group of people during a large-scale Bhagavad Gita recitation programme held at the Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground on Sunday, 7 December. The event was organised by an organisation said to be close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Triggering public outrage and multiple complaints to the police. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, though its authenticity has not been independently verified by The Observer Post.
The victim has been identified as Sheikh Reazul, a mobile food seller who has been vending fried chicken patties across the city for nearly two decades.
According to Reazul, a group of 15–20 men confronted him after asking whether he was selling chicken patties. Moments later, the group allegedly assaulted him, overturned his tin box of patties, and forced him to sit holding his ears as a form of humiliation.
In the viral video, several men some wearing forehead or neck tilak can be seen surrounding and beating the vendor. Reazul claims he suffered a financial loss of about ₹4,000 as his entire stock of food was destroyed. He also said other chicken patties sellers in the area were similarly harassed. Recounting the incident, Reazul said, “We go to different places for meetings, programmes or games. They grabbed me by the ear and beat me. They kicked my tin box of food. In twenty years of work, nothing like this has ever happened.”
Reazul, the sole breadwinner of his family, said he only wanted to earn through honest work. “They could have just told me that non-veg food was not allowed there. I would have left quietly,” he added.
Social media user Azizul Haque emailed a complaint directly to the Kolkata Police Commissioner after seeing the video. He also expressed willingness to support the vendor’s legal battle. In a post, Azizul wrote, “I would like to help the person who is selling chicken patties at the Gita recitation programme in the brigade as much as I can. He wants to help with the legal battle. Please get in touch.”
A separate written complaint has been filed at Maidan Police Station by CPI(M) leader and lawyer Sayan Banerjee, who termed the incident a “tragic example of mob behaviour” and criticised the police for not taking suo motu action despite Supreme Court guidelines on preventing mob lynching. He said, “The tragic incident occurred at Brigade Ground in Kolkata. Incidents like mob lynching are happening in Bengal too. Despite the Supreme Court’s directives to prevent mob lynching, the state police did not take any action. Moreover, the law empowers the police to file suo motu cases and take action, but no action was taken. It’s unfortunate. Seeing the administration’s silence, I lodged a complaint with the Maidan police station. I hope the administration will take legal action.”
“Such incidents are deeply unfortunate in a democratic society. No immediate action was taken by the police. That’s why I lodged a complaint,” Sayan added.
A Kolkata Police official confirmed that an inquiry has been initiated based on the complaint and assured that legal steps will follow.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) state general secretary Kunal Ghosh condemned the assault, stating, “Vendors do not sell food based on caste or religion. Many people gather at Brigade during major events. Targeting a seller like this is unacceptable.”
Human rights activist Ranjit Sur criticised the attack, saying it reflected rising intolerance: “The main target of Hindutva groups is the minority Muslim community. The vendor was harassed because of his religious identity. If the state government does not take strict action, such attacks will continue.”
