New Delhi: There is a sense of anxiety at Indore’s biggest garments market, Seetlamata Market, which has close to a thousand shops. BJP leader and Indore-4 MLA Malini Gaur’s son, Aklavya Singh Gaur, has told the traders to terminate the services of all Muslim salesmen by 25 September.
The “vidhayak putra” (MLA’s son), as his followers call him, also wants all Muslim traders to vacate rented shops in the next two months.
Aklavya issued the directions during a meeting with the Seetlamata Bazaar Vyapari Association in the first week of September, arguing that the area has witnessed an increasing number of ‘love jihad’ cases.
The meeting was attended by market association president Hema Panjvani and general secretary Atul Neema, apart from Ram Babu Rathore, the husband of the ward councillor.
“Muslim salesmen would stand on the road to call in customers and would stare at women passing by. Now Aklavya bhaiya has tightened the noose on these men. Nobody should have rented their shops out to Muslims in the first place, all of them will have to vacate,” Panjvani told ThePrint.
Panjvani added that they want to carry out such an exercise across markets in the city once it is successfully executed in the Seetlamata Market.
Pappu Maheshwari, a senior member of the market association, told ThePrint, “Bhaiya has requested us to talk to the retailers politely and ask them to remove Muslim salesmen.”
ThePrint reached Aklavya through phone calls, but he refused to give a formal response. He did confirm though that he had issued such a direction.
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Checking Aadhaar details
Anil Sharma, a member of the market association and a close aide of Aklavya, said they will check the Aadhaar details of employees at all the shops, noting down their names and addresses.
“The second step would be to investigate each Muslim employee’s involvement in ‘love jihad’ cases,” said Sharma, adding the campaign has been named “bazaar ka shuddhikaran” because the agenda is to “cleanse” the market of those who are involved in ‘love jihad’ cases.
“डाइरेक्ट एक्शन डे” हिन्दुस्तान के इतिहास का वह खूनी अध्याय है जिसका एक एक शब्द निरपराध हिन्दुओं के खून की स्याही से लिखा गया है। बंगाल में हुए इस नरसंहार के कड़वे सच को कहानियों में भी जगह नहीं मिली।
‘हिन्द रक्षक संगठन राष्ट्र, धर्म और संस्कृति के संरक्षण में हिन्दू अस्मिता और… pic.twitter.com/tyoklVEEJ0
— Aklavya Laxman Singh Gaur (@aklavyagaur) September 17, 2025
The group coordinates with the Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) for a host of activities, including screening films like Kerala Story and Bengal Files.
While Aklavya is not an elected representative, his words seem to carry weight in the market. He is the convener of Hind Rakshak Sangathan.
“We do not want to send a message that love jihad is rampant in this market. So it’s better to fire Muslim workers and also encourage more Hindu workers by giving them employment,” said Maheshwari.
Asked about what they will do if shopkeepers do not implement the directions by the 25 September deadline, Maheshwari added, “We are aware that some shop-owners do not want to fire their salesmen, we will listen to their concerns and talk to them. But, the order has to be followed, Aklavya bhaiya has proposed this for our own good.”
Market association general secretary Atul Neema alleged Muslim salesmen exchange numbers with Hindu women customers under the guise of sending “latest designs”, and then begin texting them at odd hours.
Mohammad Shahid, who has been working in the market for 28 years, said phone numbers are taken by shop owners. “We don’t take any numbers, the seth and the customer exchange numbers if needed.”
“In my shop, only the seth is Hindu, all three salesmen are Muslim. He doesn’t want to fire us but he says his hands are tied amid pressure,” he added.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Amit Singh said, “If a complaint is filed, we will take the appropriate action based on the law and the Constitution.”
‘Love jihad’
The trigger for the Aklavya’s direction appears to have come from an alleged ‘love jihad’ case involving a Congress leader in the city. Congress Councillor Anwar Qadri was booked in June for allegedly giving money to two Muslim men to befriend and marry Hindu women.
According to the police, the two men—Sahil Sheikh and Altaf Shah—named Qadri while being questioned about sexual assault cases against them. The case made headlines in Indore, drawing the ire of many, including Indore BJP president Sumit Mishra who alleged that Qadri was “funding love jihad”.
There is panic among Muslim workers over Aklavya’s order. They are calling meetings, holding deliberations and trying to figure a way out of the situation. Some Muslim salesmen working in the market also met with Bhim Army Azad Samaj Party’s state president Abid Hussain Barkati over the issue.
“We will first try to sit with the traders and explain our position to them. We don’t support love jihad, and if someone is found guilty of ‘love jihad’, we would boycott them,” said Hussain.
He said they would take the legal route if discussions on the matter do not lead to the right decision.
“This order violates Articles 14, 15, 16, 25, and 29 of the Indian Constitution. We will approach the civil court, if needed, we will take it to the higher courts,” said Hussain.
Article 14 and 15 ensure equality before the law and prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth. Article 16 guarantees equality of opportunity in public employment. Article 25 protects the freedom of religion, while Article 29 safeguards the cultural and educational rights of minorities.
Some shop owners are holding secret meetings as they do not want to let their employees go right in the middle of the festive season. A sizable percentage of the customers is Muslim women and traders are afraid the move would alienate them.
Congress city President Chintu Chaukse has written to the police commissioner of Indore on the diktat. “If no action is taken against the order, we will organise a citywide protest. We will call activists, party workers and several respected men of the city to protest this communal order,” said Chaukse.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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