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The assailants allegedly demanded the vendors’ names, accused them of being “Bangladeshi infiltrators” and discarded their food.

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Three Muslim food vendors have alleged they were assaulted for selling non-vegetarian items at a mass Gita recitation event in Kolkata on Sunday, according to police complaints filed this week, reported The Telegraph reported on Wednesday.

The vendors said groups of men confronted them at the Panch Lokkho Konthe Gitapath gathering at the Brigade Parade Ground, asked their names, accused them of being “Bangladeshi infiltrators” and threw away their food. The event, organised by the Sanatan Sanskriti Sansad, drew hundreds of thousands of participants and was attended by several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.

Videos circulating on social media appear to show men shouting at two vendors and assaulting them, demanding to know why they were selling chicken and other items they deemed inappropriate for a Hindu religious event.

Two vendors, Sheikh Riyajul, 50, and Salauddin, 60, filed separate complaints at the Maidan police station alleging they were beaten and their goods destroyed. Police said two cases have been registered and investigators are reviewing CCTV and social media footage. No arrests have been made.

Another vendor, Muntaz Mallick, 35, told local media that hawkers selling snacks containing onions were also targeted. He said some participants demanded to inspect his Aadhaar identity card.

Event organisers denied issuing any instructions banning non-vegetarian food and said they could not identify the men involved. Swami Nirgunananda, a member of the organising body, said the group had only requested devotees to consume satvik (pure vegetarian) food but had not enforced restrictions on vendors.

Political parties in West Bengal criticised the incident. The Trinamool Congress said the episode reflected an attempt to disturb the state’s cultural harmony, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) filed a separate police complaint.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said it was unclear whether the attackers were linked to the party but added that some devotees’ sentiments “may have been hurt.”

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