The 'New Rajasthan'? Newly elected as MLA, saffron seer cracks down on vendors selling non-veg food

Jaipur: The newly-elected MLA of Jaipur’s Hawa Mahal constituency, saffron seer Balmukund Acharya, today started a drive against roadside vendors and shops selling non-vegetarian dishes in the area, without following any protocol of law and order.

Several videos of Balmukund Acharya are going viral, where he can be seen asking a police officer on the phone to take action and shut down shops of vendors selling non-vegetarian food on streets. Acharya's actions take place in front of applauding supporters carrying Lord Hanuman’s mace, a video shows.

Other videos show him in front of a shop called Afghani Darbar Hotel and Old M M Khan Hotel, asking for action against them for selling non-veg items on roads, which he said is illegal. Several videos doing the rounds show his supporters cheering him on as he makes the authorities and shopkeepers aware of his newly acquired status and power. He was also seen asking for licences and if not found, was asking the police officials to seize the shops’ wares openly.

Balmukund Acharya, who won from Hawa Mahal by a mere 974 votes over Congress veteran leader R R Tiwari, has been trying to polarise the region by visiting ancient Hindu temples in the area, and talking about their desecration and deliberate misuse by a specific community. He has also been talking about how Hindu girls are being lured and being converted, how cows are being killed, and how the Congress appeasement policy was flawed. His highly publicised rhetoric and tirade against the minority community on social media paid off as he landed a BJP ticket and eventually won.

Eyewitnesses also said that Acharya on Monday was trying to instill fear among the minority with his threats, in a constituency where the Muslim vote is around 34 per cent.

People’s Union for Civil Liberties, an organisation which works for empowering the poor, while criticising the move, said the Street Vendors Act guarantees the right to carry on any occupation, trade or business and hawkers have the fundamental right to carry on trade or business of their choice. The Act has no mention of vegetarian or non-vegetarian dishes and talks about vending zones and setting up of town vending committees which would protect the vendors.

Kavita Srivastav, who heads PUCL, said, “The committees have not been set up and zones have not been demarcated yet, so what right this newly elected MLA has to threaten the vendors and show off his power. Someone who has not yet been sworn in is threatening people of his constituency, which is a violation of the Constitution. There is something called the ‘Right to my choice and dietary practices.’ Rajasthan is a peaceful state with people of various cultures, religion, caste, creed living in harmony. It is the duty of the new government to ensure that the harmony of this place is maintained and not be threatened by a MLA without proper legal process.”

The widely circulated viral videos on social media have also attracted considerable criticism, with many saying, 'Welcome to the New Rajasthan'.