Nahan: A purported video capturing an angry mob ransacking a garment shop in the presence of police is doing rounds on social media. The video was posted by an X user Sachin Gupta (@SachinGuptaUP). In his post he said, "In Himachal Pradesh's Nahan, Hindu organizations attacked Javed's readymade garments shop in the presence of police. The goods were thrown out of the shop. Javed had posted photos of sacrifice on his Whatsapp status. It is alleged that he was slaughtering a cow. Javed is a resident of Saharanpur (UP) , runs a shop in HP. People said – we will not let him enter HP. Police is looking for Javed. Hindu organizations have warned shop owners to immediately vacate the shops rented to people of a particular community." The authenticity of the video could not be immediately verified.
Watch the video here
The video has surfaced amid sporadic incidents of violence that have been reported of late in Himachal especially after Kulwinder Kaur, the security officer allegedly slapped new BJP Lok Sabha MP Kangana Ranaut at Chandigarh airport earlier in June.
In fact just four days ago, a Punjab-origin non-resident Indian (NRI) was allegedly assaulted by a group of men after an argument over parking while he was visiting Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh. Kawaljit Singh claimed that he and his wife of Spanish origin were targeted as he was Punjabi. Soon after the incident, General Secretary Shiromani Akali Dal Bikram Singh Majithia took to X (formerly known as Twitter and claimed that local residents of Himachal Pradesh were targeting Punjabi tourists ever since the Kangana Ranaut was slapped at Chandigarh airport.
He took to X and said, "I strongly condemn the brutal beating of a young man from Spain, Kanwaljit Singh and his wife of Spanish origin, belonging to village Panwan of Majitha constituency, by local people in Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh. BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's statement about Punjabis only has the effect that Himachali people are targeting Punjabi tourists. I request Kangana Ranaut to refrain from making such statements and also appeal to the central government to take strict action against such phenomena."