Nadine Osman
Rising hostility against Muslims in India’s capital came to the fore again last month after a Muslim shopkeeper was forced to remove the name of his dairy shop under pressure from a Hindu leader in Sagarpur, South West Delhi.
The incident took place on August 21, when Hindu leader Vipin Rajput, accompanied by several locals, entered the shop of Sahil, who owns Haryana Dairy and Paneer Bhandar.
In a video that has since gone viral, Rajput is seen questioning Sahil about the shop’s signboard, demanding that he replace it with one bearing his personal name so that “people would know whose shop it is.”
Others present threatened to scan Sahil’s QR code to pursue further action if he refused. Under intimidation, Sahil reluctantly agreed to alter his shop’s name. The video has triggered widespread outrage online, with many users asking whether Muslims in Delhi must now openly reveal their faith to operate businesses.
The episode echoes a similar incident in the same neighbourhood on June 20, when a Muslim woman, Sakina, was forcibly evicted from her rented home by Hindu activists despite producing valid documents. She was branded a “Bangladeshi” and accused of concealing her religion.
Rights activists and community leaders have denounced the targeting of Sahil and Sakina as part of an organised campaign to intimidate Muslims on the basis of their faith.
They warned that such incidents are instilling fear among minorities in the capital. Delhi Police confirmed that a case has been registered against those involved in the latest episode.
However, local residents expressed scepticism, citing repeated failures of law enforcement to safeguard Muslims from hate-driven harassment.
Photo: Hindu leader Vipin Rajput (left) seen confronting Muslim shopkeeper Sahil (right) in Sagarpur, South West Delhi, August 21, 2025. Rajput demanded Sahil remove his shop’s name under pressure. (Credit screengrab/X)
