Mangaluru: Actor and director Raj B Shetty has criticized the BJP-led Mangaluru City Corporation for its ‘Tiger Operation,’ which targets street vendors, calling it a contradiction to the recent Mangaluru Street Food Fiesta. In an Instagram story, Shetty remarked that if Dolly Chaiwala, the Mumbai-based street tea vendor featured in the event, were a local vendor in Mangaluru, his stall would have been demolished as part of the operation.
The irony of hosting such an event at Lady Hill Circle, where street vendors were previously evicted due to concerns about traffic congestion and encroachment, has sparked significant backlash. The festival, running from January 18 to 22, invited Dolly Chaiwala as a special participant, triggering protests from activists and debates on social media.
Shetty took to Instagram, saying, “Dolly Chaiwala, a street tea seller, was celebrated in Mangalore. The same city bulldozed street food vendors a few months ago. Glad Dolly isn’t from Mangalore. If he were, we would’ve bulldozed him too.”
Street vendors and activists have condemned the administration’s actions, accusing it of prioritizing high-profile events while neglecting the welfare of local vendors. BK Imtiyaz, honorary president of the Street Vendors’ Association, criticized the Mangaluru City Corporation and MLA Vedavyas Kamath for their hypocrisy, stating, “They destroyed livelihoods with bulldozers and then hosted an event violating their own rules.”
Read Also:
- Mangaluru’s New Vending Zone Opens for Street Vendors, Excluding Food Sellers
- Mangaluru’s Street Vendors to Get Designated Zones, ID Cards Distributed