New Delhi: The Varanasi Police Tuesday arrested a group of 14 Muslims for allegedly “hurting religious sentiments of Hindus” after they organised an Iftar party on a boat in the Ganga, where they purportedly ate non-vegetarian food. The arrests took place after a video of the Iftar party went viral on social media.
ACP Kotwali Vijay Pratap Singh said that police received allegations pertaining to an Iftar party on 16 March. “The complainant, Rajat Jaiswal, said people were consuming chicken biryani in a boat off Panchganga Ghat in the name of Iftar party.”
“In the video, a container with chicken biryani was being used, and leftovers were allegedly thrown into the river,” he said. “We immediately deployed our teams to different places, considering the seriousness of the matter. We have arrested a total of 14 people as of now, and appropriate action will be taken against them.”
The complaint, Jaiswal, is BJP Yuva Morcha city unit chief.
The police have registered a case at Kotwali Police Station in Kashi under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 298 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 196(1)(b) (committing any act, which is prejudicial to the maintaining of harmony bet between different religions), 270 (public nuisance), 279 (fouling water of public spring or reservoir), 223 (b) (disobedience, causing danger to human life) causes, tend to cause danger to human life, health, safety), and Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act, 1974.
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‘Hindu sentiments hurt’
Jaiswal told ThePrint that he wasn’t present when the Iftar party was hosted, but saw the video when it went viral on Instagram. “I saw the video, where members of Muslim community had written that the Iftari was taking place outside Alamgir Mosque, however it was Bindu Madhav ka Dharara, a temple. They ate non-vegetarian food, and threw the remains in Ganga,” he said.
In the video that was heavily circulated, a group of lifejacket-wearing men from the Muslim community can be seen having the party while boating in the Ganga.
Location: Varanasi, UP
14 Muslim youths were arrested for holding an Iftar party on a boat in the middle of the Ganges River. It is alleged that during the Iftar party, they consumed chicken biryani and threw the bones into the Ganges, thereby offending religious sentiments. pic.twitter.com/t20bAwvByq
— The Muslim (@TheMuslim786) March 17, 2026
In his complaint, Jaiswal alleged, “Ganga is a major centre of faith for followers of Sanatan Dharma. Millions of devotees from India and abroad come daily with great devotion to drink the waters of Mother Ganga.”
“Members of Muslim community eating chicken biryani during Iftar while sitting on a boat in the sacred waters of Ganga, and then throwing the remains into the river is extremely unfortunate and condemnable,” he alleged.
He called it “a despicable act” that has “deeply hurt the sentiments of Sanatan followers and caused widespread outrage”.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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