An Iftar party on the Ganga River in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, has sparked a row after 14 men were arrested on allegations of eating chicken biryani and discarding its remains in the river.
A viral video showed the men marking their iftar on boats on the Ganges River, but the police claim they discarded chicken biryani and bones into the river during the gathering.
The case has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including defiling a place of worship and promoting enmity.
The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) accused the men of deliberately hurting Hindu sentiments by discarding the remains in the river, which is considered sacred by followers of Sanatan Dharma.
However, the police have said that the allegations are being investigated and another video has emerged showing a different group of men holding iftar on a boat, which appears to be unrelated to the arrest.
The Gyanvapi Mosque managing committee has condemned the act, calling it against the religion and a social outing.
