North Gujarat gram panchayat bars villagers from dealing with Muslim hawkers, traders

By A Representative
A gram panchayat in North Gujarat has barred its residents not to buy anything from Muslim traders and hawkers. An order of the Waghasan group gram panchayat of Tharad taluka of Banaskantha district dated June 30 states that the decision has been taken in the wake of beheading of a Hindu tailor after he posted a derogatory writeup on Prophet Mohammad in Udaipur.
The gram panchayat resolution says, anyone seen buying or selling any commodity from a Muslim hawker or trader would be fined Rs 5,100. Bringing this to light, Mujahid Nafees, convener, Minority Coordination Committee, in a letter to Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, says, the state government should take legal action against the panchayat chief who has signed the “unjust” order.
The letter says, the act of the sarpanch and other signatories is a violation of rule of law of the state and threat to peace, pointing out, the move is in violation of Article 15 of the Constitution, which says that none should be discriminated on the basis of religion, caste, sex, sex, or place of birth, and Article 19, which guarantees free movement of citizens and hold any occupation, trade or business throughout the territory of India
The letter further says, the sarpanch has no authority to boycott any person from doing business. The panchayat has no administrative powers to do under the Gujarat Panchayat Act 1993, Sections 130 to 132, it notes, adding, the sarpanch has misused the position to harm the peace of the district and the rule of law, which is also a criminal act under various sections of the IPC.
“We demand that with immediate effect an FIR is filed under appropriate sections of the IPC on the sarpanch and other signatories and they should arrested”, the letter pleads, adding, the sarpanch should be immediately “suspended for misuse of power under the Gujarat Panchayat Act 1993.”

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