Racism Amid Coronavirus: FIR Filed Against Mysuru Mart Manager, Staff For Denying Entry To Nagaland Students

Staff members of a groceries chain outlet in Mysore were booked by the city police on Sunday (29 March) for allegedly harassing and passing racist slurs against two students from the northeastern part of India, News18 reported.

In a video shared on social media, staffers at a More supermarket can be seen resisting the students from entering the outlet. The students from Nagaland, however, are seen requesting the outlet staff to not discriminate against them and let them buy groceries too.

"We are Indians, we need groceries too, we live here, we have Aadhaar Card. How can you discriminate (against) us?", one of the two students said as per the video.

While other customers continued to enter the supermarket, the staff members also tried to stop the other student from recording a video.

The video of the incident quickly got viral on social media resulting in a quick police action. According to City Police Commissioner Chandragupta, an FIR had been registered and the manager and staff had been arrested,

"The FIR has been lodged immediately at Krishnaraja police station. We urge people and shop owners/staff to desist from doing such acts and behave responsibly in this time of crisis," he said.

Responding to the incident, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao also said that any such discriminatory acts against the people from the northeast would draw strict action from the police.

“Some misguided persons have made unwanted Covid 19 remarks against our brethren from NorthEastern States. These misguided will be dealt with very sternly. Brothers & Sisters from NorthEast, you are secure here, approach nearest Police station or Me directly Live Fearless,” Rao said in a tweet.