Jamshedpur: Situation turned tense at Sakchi Market on Thursday with groups of shop owners and vendors locking horns over using the footpath. However a major clash was avoided by the arrival of police, sources said.
While the shop owners asked the vendors not to do business on footpath, the vendors said they could not be driven away as they too, had a right to do business at public place.
Sakchi police reached the market on coming to know of the situation and removed many vendors. The police action met with resistance by vendors who alleged that the police officials were resorting to a biased decision under the influence of the pucca shop owners.
All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha activists turned up at the venue to lend support to the cause of vendors. They said the police should not remove the vendors from the market as they were eking out a living through the roadside business.
They also alleged that many shop owners had encroached the main road in the market at several places under the very nose of police. They said well-to-do shop owners should not behave selfishly against the footpath vendors.
Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) members led by Suresh Sonthalia too, reached the market in support of shop owners and asked police to remove encroachment from footpath.