Barely days after the
Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government took office in
Uttar Pradesh (UP) policemen from the local chowki in Noida’s sector-51 visited
Anand Mahto’s shop—a small wooden cabinet on which he hangs a LED light at
night and some flowers during the day—selling cigarettes, pan masala and
freshly prepared pan. The road abuts a green patch next to one of Noida’s major
sewage drains in sector-51; this 1 km patch is home to 10 other small and big
â