Hindutva group calls for boycott of Muslim businesses in India
RSS-affiliated group urges Hindus to avoid Muslim-owned shops during major Hindu festival, drawing criticism from opposition parties
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Hindutva organization affiliated with India’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has launched a campaign encouraging Hindus to boycott Muslim-owned businesses during a major Hindu festival in the eastern state of West Bengal, drawing criticism from opposition political parties.
The Hindu Jagran Manch put up posters in Siliguri, a city in northern West Bengal, urging people to purchase biryani and festival essentials exclusively from Hindu shopkeepers ahead of Durga Puja, one of the state’s most widely celebrated Hindu festivals.
According to The Times of India, the posters circulated widely on social media, triggering criticism over attempts to divide commercial activity along religious lines.
One poster carried the message: “Nobody is stopping you from eating biryani. Do eat biryani, but buy it from Hindu shops.”
Although the campaign does not explicitly mention Muslims, its appeal to purchase goods exclusively from Hindu-owned establishments effectively encourages an economic boycott of Muslim traders, including those selling biryani, a popular rice dish widely associated with Muslim culinary traditions in South Asia.
The Hindu Jagran Manch, which is affiliated with the RSS, defended the campaign, claiming that the posters merely appealed to consumers rather than issuing mandatory instructions.
The RSS is the ideological parent of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has long advocated Hindutva, a Hindu nationalist ideology that seeks to define Indian national identity primarily through Hindu culture.
The campaign drew condemnation from leaders of West Bengal’s opposition parties Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
TMC spokesperson and state lawmaker Kunal Ghosh criticized the attempt to associate food choices with religious identity, arguing that the quality of food should determine consumer preferences rather than the religion of those preparing or selling it.
He said biryani sold by Hindu shopkeepers could be just as delicious as that prepared by Muslim vendors, rejecting attempts to introduce religious divisions into everyday commercial transactions.
Ashok Bhattacharya, a senior CPI(M) leader and former West Bengal minister, demanded police action against those responsible for the posters.
He described the campaign as unacceptable in a secular democracy and argued that promoting such religious divisions amounted to a criminal offense.
The controversy comes amid broader concerns over economic discrimination against Muslims in India, where Hindutva organizations have previously promoted campaigns urging Hindus to avoid Muslim-owned businesses.
Similar boycott appeals have surfaced during Hindu religious festivals and processions in several Indian states, with Muslim traders facing calls for exclusion from local markets and commercial activities.
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