• Source:JND
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Varanasi police arrested 14 men for allegedly organising Iftar gathering on the boat in Ganga river on Tuesday. Most of them are in their 20s and employed in local saree shops. All 14 men were accused of consuming chicken biryani during the event and discarding leftover into the river. The arrest followed the circulation of a social media video showing a organising the gathering on Sunday.

Incident and Investigation

The case was registered at the Kotwali police station. According to the Assistant Commissioner Of Police Vijay Pratap Singh, those men allegedly recorded a video of event to create a social media reel. Authorities are currently questioning the suspects to determine their motives.

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Legal Charges And FIR Details

The FIR was filed based on a complaint by Rajat Jaiswal, district president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. Jaiswal alleged that an Iftar party was organised on a boat in the Ganga, during which chicken biryani was consumed.

He said "The Ganga holds deep and unshakeable faith for the followers of Sanatan Dharma. Thousands of devotees from across the country and the world visit Kashi every day to perform rituals and offer prayers using Ganga water."

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"In such a situation, eating biryani on a boat in the middle of the river and throwing its leftovers into the water is completely inappropriate. This act appears to have been done with the intention of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus," he added.

The police have invoked several sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act:

Section 298: Defiling a place of worship with intent to insult a religion.

Section 299: Deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings.

Section 196: Promoting enmity between different groups.

Sections 270 and 223: Public nuisance and use of false evidence.

Impact And Complaints

The complainant emphasised the Ganga's status as a sacred symbol of faith for followers of Hindu religion noting that millions of devotees visit the river for rituals and prayer. The act of consuming non-vegetarian food and polluting the water has reportedly caused significant public resentment and hurt religious sentiments.

Additionally, the complainant has called for strict action against the boat operator, including the immediate cancellation of their license and the issuance of a challan.


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