Vendors Selling Puja Items Near Ram Temple Subjected to Public Humiliation by Ayodhya Municipal Officials

Eight men were forced to perform handstands in Ayodhya's Deen Dayal Upadhyay park, with their legs propped against a wall while uniformed men with batons supervised the punishment. This disturbing incident occurred in broad daylight during extreme heat and was captured on cellphone videos that quickly spread across social media.

According to witnesses, these men endured this humiliating punishment for hours under the scorching sun.

What makes this situation particularly troubling is that these weren't troublemakers being disciplined. They were simply vendors trying to earn a living by selling puja items near the Ram temple.

Their attempt to sell religious goods along the Ram Path resulted in harsh consequences when municipal authorities conducted an anti-encroachment operation.

The vendors were apprehended by Ayodhya Municipal Corporation's enforcement team, taken to a park named after Jan Sangh leader Deen Dayal Upadhyay, and subjected to sit-ups, headstands, and other physical punishments.

After the punishment videos went viral and sparked outrage on social media, the civic authorities announced they had initiated an investigation into the matter.

Ayodhya's Municipal Commissioner Jayendra Kumar confirmed that members of the enforcement team were involved and stated that an investigation was underway. He mentioned that statements would be collected from the affected vendors, with a report expected by evening or early Tuesday morning.

The Congress party condemned the incident as "Talibani behaviour" by the Ayodhya civic body, claiming it reveals the "dictatorial mindset of the BJP."