A famous fish market in Chittaranjan Park, a well-known area in South Delhi, is now in the middle of a big political and social issue. A video has gone viral showing some people upset because fish is being sold near a temple in Market No. 1. They say this is hurting their religious feelings.

Chittaranjan Park (CR Park) is known as a Bengali neighbourhood, and its fish market is very popular. People from across Delhi and nearby cities visit the market, especially on weekends. The market is located near a Kali temple that locals say is as old as the market itself.

What did the viral video show?

In the viral video, a group of people is seen talking to the fish sellers. One man says, “This is not right,” and adds that the surroundings of the temple should be “pure”. He claims that “Sanatan says we cannot harm anyone” and argues that offering meat to Goddess Kali is “fictional”. He further says, “Some people believe this. But what is happening next to this temple is hurting the sentiments of Sanatanis like us.”

The video also shows him saying that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will be “fixed”. He says, “DDA cannot run; we will correct their mistakes. The whole country is watching.”

Another man in the video says the temple was set up by the market’s owners decades ago. One of the protesters responds, “If I fight this legally, it will be a long process. The main issue is that it looks wrong next to the temple. I can't understand this.”

The video also shows a man asking a customer whether “jeevhatya” — the killing of living beings — should happen next to a temple that also has an idol of Lord Hanuman. The customer responds that animal offerings are common in many Indian temples.

Political reactions and strong statements

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra shared the video on social media and accused “BJP goons” of threatening fish-eating Bengalis. She wrote, “Never in 60 years has this happened, residents say.” She added that this is a “present” from the BJP government in Delhi, which came to power just three months ago.

AAP leader and former Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj also reacted strongly. He said that the DDA had legally allotted the fish shops and there was no illegal encroachment. “If BJP had a problem with CR Park Bengalis eating fish, they should have said so in their manifesto,” he wrote. He also said, “Bengalis in CR Park are one of the most educated communities in Delhi. Their sentiments and eating habits must be respected. I am a vegetarian, and I never had a problem with their eating habits. Why is the BJP creating problems in such a peaceful area?”

Bhardwaj was the MLA from Greater Kailash, the constituency where CR Park is located, for three terms. He lost in the recent February elections to BJP’s Shikha Roy.

BJP responds and calls video “tailored”

The BJP denied all the allegations made by Mahua Moitra and other opposition leaders. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said, “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. The video posted on social media by Smt Mahua 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.”

Senior BJP leader Amit Malviya also posted a video showing a journalist visiting the market. In that video, the temple priest and some locals are seen saying that no threats were made. Malviya said, “TMC MP Mahua Moitra posted a video, ostensibly from CR Park in Delhi, alleging that certain individuals were threatening vendors in the DDA-approved fish market located next to a Mandir. The video is false and fabricated. It appears to have been shot with the intent to promote ill will among communities.”

He also said that this could be a distraction from the current controversy involving the TMC parliamentary party.

 

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