Fish sellers of Chittranjan Park found themselves in a state of disbelief last week when the anti-meat overdrive of the Hindu right hit the local markets with a warning to shut shops because they were close to a temple.
Incredulous, some of the shopkeepers claimed they were the ones who built the temple in the first place.
A video that captured a member of the saffron brigade making a case before the shopkeepers for the shutdown, citing the temple's closeness, made rounds on social media, attracting at least one lawmaker's attention.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra posted a series of statements on X, accusing Bharatiya Janata Party workers of threatening Bengali fish vendors.
In one of her posts, Moitra shared a video, with the text: "Please watch as saffron brigade BJP goons threaten fish-eating Bengalis of Chittaranjan Park, Delhi. Never in 60 years has this happened, residents say."
She too claimed that the temple in question was built by the market people.
In another post, she shared a WhatsApp message, allegedly from a local, who described the situation as "terrible" due to the "forced closure" of meat and fish shops.
Divendu, a fish vendor, said that some people came to his shop and asked him to close his shop, as they recorded the incident on camera.
"We told them the land was approved by the DDA for us to set up our shops. No one has ever asked us to shut down before," he told PTI Videos. "We are Bengali Sanatanis. We also pray before opening our shops each day � this is our tradition."
Mithoon Das, another shopkeeper, said he has been selling fish in the area for 25 years and what happened that day was unprecedented.
"Around four or five days ago, a few people came and told us that we had to shut down our shops because we cannot sell fish near a temple," Das said.
Ashok Bose, the vice-chairman of the EPDP, an apex body of the Bengali community in CR Park, said the group became aware of the issue through social media.
He said the fish market association has submitted a complaint to the EPDP, and its secretary, Ashok Bhattacharjee, would file a police complaint today.
"The fish market was here even before the temple was built. In fact, shopkeepers pooled money to build the temple," Bose said.
He argued that across India, temples are commonly located near markets or even within police stations so people can offer prayers before starting their day.
"No one has had any issue with the temple being next to a fish market until now," he added.
Sanjeev Bhattacharya, a priest at the Kali Temple near the market, said fish has a venerated place in Bengali traditions.
"We offer fish to the goddess during Durga Puja and serve it at weddings. Every culture has its practices, and no one should oppose that," he said.
"Those who eat fish don't have a problem with the market, but those who don't, often do. There are also wine shops and hookah parlours near the temple, but no one objects to those," he added.
An authorised source said no complaint has been made yet with the police. "The market is a licensed one according to MCD records. The video appears to be outdated, but we are verifying the date of the incident. No police complaint has been received so far," said the person.
All the same, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Amit Malviya on X claimed that the video in question was "false and fabricated."
"It appears to have been shot with the intent to promote ill will among communities -- and perhaps to distract from the 'versatile international lady' controversy that the TMC parliamentary party currently finds itself embroiled in," the party's West Bengal co-in-charge said.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said everyone must respect the sanctity of temples and added that fish market traders in CR Park have always done so.
"Fish markets have been legally allotted and are essential in this area. Traders maintain high cleanliness standards and actively participate in CR Park's socio-religious events," he said.
Videos from places across Delhi have surfaced on social media showing local BJP MLAs or other leaders asking meat sellers to shut their shops citing one pretext or the other.
Last month, Delhi minister Parvesh Verma informed the assembly that orders had been issued to remove illegal meat and fish-selling units in the capital.
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