Varanasi, March 20 – The controversy surrounding the Iftar party in the Ganga River escalated on Friday, as Rajat Jaiswal, a leader of the BJP’s youth wing, who first raised concerns about the “offensive and disrespectful” act and filed a police complaint seeking appropriate action, has started receiving death threats.
The identity of those threatening Jaiswal is not known, but sources say a coordinated network cannot be ruled out, as the death threats are being routed through emails and international calls.
Rajat Jaiswal, the city president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BYJM), lodged a formal complaint with the Sigra police station on Friday. The police have launched an investigation and deployed teams to trace the international phone numbers and email IDs used to issue the threats.
Jaiswal also expressed concerns about his safety in his complaint to the police, as he lives in an area with a Muslim majority.
His legal team also told the media that Jaiswal and his team were subjected to threatening calls and intimidation after he complained about the disposal of non-vegetarian leftovers into the Ganga River during the Iftar party.
Advocate Shashank Shekhar Tripathi said, “We are also being threatened in court. They have threatened in court in front of the media, and the complainant in the case is continuously being threatened over phone calls. This act is condemnable. All these people should be booked under the National Security Act (NSA).”
Several days ago, a video of an Iftar party on the Ganga River in Varanasi sparked a major controversy as several Hindu groups strongly objected to the consumption of meat and the alleged disposal of leftovers in the sacred river.
Rajat Jaiswal filed a police complaint, alleging that a group of men consumed and threw the remains of meat and biryani into the river.
“The Ganga holds deep and unwavering significance for followers of Sanatan Dharma. Thousands of devotees from across the country and the world visit Kashi every day to perform rituals and offer prayers using Ganga water. This act is offensive to the religious sentiments of Sanatan followers,” Jaiswal stated.
The police then launched an investigation and arrested 14 Muslim youths, who had boarded a boat for the Iftar.
The arrested men were produced in court, which, after considering the gravity of the crime, sent the accused to jail until April 1.
