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Routine action against encroachment in Lucknow being peddled with misleading claims of harassment and assault of Kashmiri vendors, UP Police issues clarification

The police have clarified that street vendors from a no-vending zone was removed as it is a VIP zone, busting misleading claims of harassment of Kashmiri vendors

On 17th December (Sunday), several usual X (Twitter) handles shared malicious claims that some Kashmiri dry fruit vendors were harassed and assaulted by the Municipal authority and Police at the Gomti Nagar bridge in Lucknow. The X users circulated the visuals from the Gomti bridge with misleading claims that the authority scattered their goods and assaulted the vendors. However, they were immediately fact-checked by the Lucknow Police. 

Spinning Police action as oppression of the poor, Asif Khan tweeted, “Poor Kashmiri dry fruit vendors were harassed by Lucknow Municipality team. Why are they targeting these poor people?” 

‘Face checker’ Md Zubair also chose to create misinformation by sharing incomplete information.

While one X (Twitter) user used the incident to rant about Article 370, others claimed that the incident highlighted hatred towards the people of Kashmir.  

Clearing the air, Lucknow Police took to their official X (Twitter) handle and noted that the authorities took routine action during an anti-encroachment drive as the bridge is also a sensitive route for VIP movement. 

Sharing the details about the anti-encroachment drive, East DCP Lucknow said, “The Gomti bridge connecting 1090 Chauraha and Samata Mulak Chauraha which is also a VIP route is often prone to encroachment. VIP movement traverses through this route because of which the  Municipal corporation and police regularly carry out anti-encroachment drives.”

The corporation has notified vending zones and this route is sensitive because VIP movement takes place from here. Resultantly, this is not a vending zone, prompting the authorities to regularly undertake anti-encroachment drives.

The official added that the police had learned that for the last few days, some vendors had been selling dry fruits. He added that the corporation had taken action previously, and the police had communicated with the vendors.

East DCP Lucknow mentioned that today (17th December), the convoy of UP CM Yogi Adityanath also passed through this route. He added that today the dry fruit vendors showed indecency with the anti-encroachment team. Subsequently, when the police came to learn about the incident, they used the necessary force and brought the youths to the police station. They have been informed that this is a VIP route adding that they should cooperate with the anti-encroachment drives in the future as well.

It is also notable that while the X users claimed police threw away the dry fruits being sold by the street vendors, others have said that the vendors themselves dropped the products on the streets after police asked them to vacate the place.

Therefore, the police removed the street vendors not because of their identities as Kashmiris, but only because they were vending at an unauthorised place.

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Paurush Gupta
Paurush Gupta
Proud Bhartiya, Hindu, Karma believer. Accidental Journalist who loves to read and write. Keen observer of National Politics and Geopolitics. Cinephile.

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