Kashmiri shawl sellers assaulted in Mussoorie, video sparks outrage

A video of two Kashmiri shawl sellers being harassed by three local men in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, surfaced on social media on Tuesday, sparking widespread outrage. The clip shows the vendors being slapped, abused, and forced to shut down their roadside stall.

In the footage, three individuals, led by a man, can be seen repeatedly slapping and shouting at one of the vendors. Despite one of the sellers showing his Aadhaar card to prove he was a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, the men continued to assault him and demanded that they pack up and leave.

Following the outrage over the viral video, Uttarakhand Police arrested the three accused. They have been identified as Suraj Singh Garhwal, Pradeep Singh from Hathipaon, and Abhishek Uniyal from the Company Garden area of Mussoorie.

Condemning the incident on social media platform X, Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) National Convenor Nasir Khuehami alleged that the attackers were “members of the Bajrang Dal.”

Additionally, Khuehami claimed that around 16 other Kashmiri traders, mostly from the Kupwara district, were also threatened, harassed, and forced to vacate their rented homes in the area.

“These are not newcomers. Many of them have been doing business and selling shawls in Mussoorie for years, contributing to the local economy and living peacefully within the community," he added.