A peaceful evening of spiritual observance turned into a legal nightmare for 14 young Muslim people in Varanasi. Their plan to break their Ramadan fast on a boat led to their immediate arrest. What was meant to be a quiet Iftar gathering on the Ganga has been redefined by local authorities as a criminal act after a complaint from the BJP youth wing.
14 Muslim Men Arrested in Varanasi
On Monday evening, a group of friends met on a boat near PanchgangaGhat to celebrate Iftar, a sacred ritual of ending the day-long fast. Footage of the gathering, which showed the youths sharing a meal on the water, eventually appeared on social media.
While the youths seemed to be enjoying a communal meal in a city known for its shared cultural history, the video quickly drew the attention of local political activists.
Iftar host on Ganga Boat, thrown non veg food into river
The legal action began not from a neutral observer but from Rajat Jaiswal, the city president of the BJP Yuva Morcha. In a formal complaint, Jaiswal claimed that the youths eating non-vegetarian food, specifically biryani, and said that bones thrown into the river in Varanasi.
Based only on these claims and the viral video, the Kotwali police acted swiftly to identify and arrest 14 individuals. The youths now face serious charges related to “hurting religious sentiments,” a legal move that critics say often used to disproportionately target minority practices.
The police action has sparked a discussion about the right to celebrate religious traditions in public spaces. While the complainants called the presence of non-vegetarian food an “insult,” the arrested youths were only practicing their faith in a city they also consider home.
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