Ujjain: Vendors near Mahakal temple write to President, Modi

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): The Mahakal Handcart and Footpath Traders Association has now appealed to the President of India and the Prime Minister for justice in protest against the confiscation of goods by the Mahakal police station.

Every day, the Ujjain Municipal Corporation (UMC) officials and administration drive away the people doing business on the footpath and their goods are confiscated, due to which there is a crisis of livelihood for them. The Association has requested through the letter that police station Mahakal and UMC officials along with the administration should be ordered to return the confiscated goods of the vendors. The letter further states that the vendors should be allowed to do business as per the rules and as an alternative 4 by 8 pucca shops should be provided to the businessmen for permanent employment. 

The letter to the President and Prime Minister says that we have been doing worship materials business for the last 40 years on handcarts on the 70-feet road from Mahakal Ghati to the Harsiddhi Chouraha area.

But these days, the carts and goods are confiscated and the vendors evicted by Mahakal police station, the administration and the UMC, due to which the vendors have to suffer financial loss leading to financial difficulties in raising the family. On November 13, the Mahakal Police Station took action and forcefully confiscated worship material worth thousand of rupees and evicted them thus depriving them of business. Earlier, on November 2, Mahakal police station in-charge Munendra Gautam had also taken similar action and confiscated the goods of the vendors, kicked the packets of prasad with photo of Baba Mahakal thus hurting the sentintments of the poor vendors.