Our Bureau
Varanasi
In a move that has ignited outrage, police in Varanasi arrested 14 people for eating chicken biryani during an Iftar party on a boat in the holy Ganga River. The incident, caught on a viral video, shows the group eating chicken biryani during the holy month of Ramzan.
The arrests came swiftly after Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) city chief Rajat Jaiswal filed a complaint at Kotwali police station. He accused the men of hurting Hindu feelings by polluting the Ganga, a site revered by millions for bathing and rituals.
Additional Commissioner of Police Vijay Pratap Singh confirmed the video spread fast on social media on March 16, 2026, prompting quick action. The youths, all in their 20s and working at local saree shops, face charges for defiling a worship place, religious hurt, and water pollution.
