Food vendor assaulted, lawyer files lynching plaint with police

Kolkata was shaken by allegations of mob assault at Sunday's large-scale Gita recital at the Brigade Parade Grounds, after a food vendor was reportedly beaten for selling non-vegetarian items near the venue.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

A video of the incident, which was shared by the Trinamul Congress and was viral on social media, triggered sharp political reactions and prompted a formal police complaint seeking action for "attempted lynching".

The complaint was lodged on Tuesday by advocate Sayan Bandyopadhyay at Maidan police station, the day video footage of the assault went viral. Bandyopadhyay alleged that the attack reflected "an imported culture of mob vigilantism", accusing "fringe groups aligned with the BJP and RSS" of trying to bring "the Uttar Pradesh-style lynching culture to West Bengal". The incident took place during the "Five Lakh Voices Gita Recitation" programme organised on Sunday by Sanatan Sanskriti Sansad, an RSS-leaning socio-cultural outfit.