Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Mar 17: The Varanasi police on Tuesday arrested 14 men after a controversy erupted over organising an Iftar gathering in a boat on Ganga in Varanasi and throwing the left-over non-vegetarian food into the holy river hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindus.
The police said the men were accused of consuming chicken biryani and throwing leftover food into the river. According to reports, a group of around 14 young men organized an Iftar party during the holy month of Ramadan while aboard a boat on the Ganga. A video of the gathering, allegedly showing participants consuming non-vegetarian food such as chicken biryani, went viral on social media.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Varanasi, Vijay Pratap Singh, said acting on a video circulating on social media, the police identified 14 men, all in their 20s, and took them into custody. He said they were local residents employed at saree shops in the city. Police said the accused allegedly organised the Iftar gathering on Sunday and recorded it on their phones, purportedly for a social media reel.
“We are currently investigating the motive and questioning them. Action is being taken against the accused in accordance with the law,” Singh said. The FIR is based on a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha’s district president Rajat Jaiswal. It has been filed under BNS sections 298 (injuring or defiling a 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 (promoting enmity between different groups), 270 (public nuisance) and 223 (using evidence known to be false). The police also invoked the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.
According to the police, the complainant states that the Ganga holds profound religious significance for followers of Sanatan Dharma and is revered as a central symbol of faith. Every day, lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad visit its banks with deep faith, perform rituals, and partake of its sacred water, it states. The complaint states that the men consumed chicken biryani and disposed of the leftovers in the river.
Such actions, the complainant claims, have deeply hurt the religious sentiments of Sanatan followers and triggered resentment among the public. The complainant also urged the authorities to take action against the boat operator, including issuing a challan and cancelling the licence with immediate effect.
Following the viral video and complaints, the local police registered a case and arrested 14 individuals involved in the gathering. Police have also cited concerns over pollution of the river as part of their action. Investigations are ongoing to determine the full circumstances of the event.
The incident has led to strong reactions on social media and among local communities, with debates focusing on religious sensitivity, environmental responsibility, and public conduct in sacred spaces. The Ganga riverfront in Varanasi, including its historic ghats, is considered one of the holiest regions in India, attracting millions of pilgrims and tourists each year. Activities on the river are often subject to cultural and religious sensitivities.
The Iftar-on-boat incident highlighted the delicate balance between religious practices and respect for shared cultural spaces. As authorities continue their investigation, the case has sparked a wider conversation on maintaining harmony and environmental responsibility in sacred locations.
Meanwhile, a video, purportedly from Palghar district in Maharashtra showing people in a cinema hall chanting slogans and pledging to boycott Muslims socially and economically has triggered strong reactions. Reacting to claims by a Congress MP that the viral video was shot in a cinema hall in Vasai on March 10, 2026, a senior police official from the Mira-Bhayandar Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Police Commissionerate said on Tuesday that the veracity of the video is yet to be ascertained.
“We are not sure where it was shot and believe it could be mischief by some unscrupulous elements,” the police official said. The MP claimed that the video shows a group of people taking the oath to boycott Muslims after watching the controversial film “The Kerala Story 2.” Syed Naseer Hussain, a Rajya Sabha member of the Congress, shared the video on X. “In Vasai, Palghar, after a free screening of the film “The Kerala Story 2” on March 10, participants reportedly took a collective oath calling for the economic and social boycott of Muslims.
“The continued encouragement of propaganda-driven narratives under the BJP Government has increasingly targeted Muslims and deepened communal polarisation. When cinema is deployed as a political instrument to stigmatise an entire community, it risks turning prejudice into organised discrimination and further emboldening anti-Muslim sentiment,” he said on X.
“India’s democratic ethos rests firmly on secularism, equality and fraternity. Calls for economic or social boycotts of any community strike at the very spirit of the Constitution of India and must be firmly rejected to preserve the plural and inclusive character of our Republic,” the MP said.
Since its release in 2023, The Kerala Story, and its sequel released in February this year, have been at the centre of intense political and cultural debate. Supporters claim the films expose uncomfortable truths, while critics argue that they exaggerate and promote divisive narratives.
