A Muslim woman was denied free food distributed to patients and their relatives outside Mumbai's Tata Hospital because she refused to obey the distributor's demand to chant the slogan "Jai Shri Ram."
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, sparking outrage over the distributor’s behavior toward the Muslim woman.
According to local reports, the food was being distributed by an NGO near Tata Hospital on Jerbai Wadia Road.
A hijab-clad woman was standing in line for free food. The man distributing the food saw her and told her to leave the queue. He demanded that she first chant "Jai Shri Ram" before receiving food. When she refused, he told her she would not receive food if she did not say the slogan.
In the video, the man can be heard saying, "Jisko Ram nahin bolna hai line me khada nahi ho" (Those who won’t say Ram should not stand in line).
He then asks her to leave, saying, "Laat marunga" (I’ll kick you), as she responds that she isn’t standing on his father's property.
The incident has sparked outrage on social media, with users criticising the distributor's behavior. "They are not an NGO if they refuse to give food just because someone isn’t chanting the slogan they want! Disgusting," wrote one user.
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"I wouldn’t be surprised if the NGO is funded by the BJP-RSS. This is happening in pan-India. The ecosystem is being fed with so much hatred against the marginalised and minorities in India," commented another.
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"That man is a joke. The NGO should be informed of his behavior. Shame on him and shame on the NGO. If anyone knows which NGO this is, we can escalate this matter. Absolutely shameful behavior. Is this what Hinduism is? Is this what Ram stands for? Disgusting," added a third user.
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"Shame on them; no community does this when feeding those in need," said another user.
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Local police were informed about the incident. However, as of now, no action has been taken against the distributor since no formal complaint has been filed.