The video of two people throwing chicken biryani into the Ganga in Haridwar has gone viral. There is a lot of anger among the people due to this incident and strict action is being demanded against the accused who are polluting the river.
A viral video from Haridwar, Uttarakhand is spreading like wildfire on social media. In this video, two people are allegedly seen throwing chicken biryani into the river Ganga. As soon as the video went viral, people became angry. It is seen in the video how the local people caught both of them on the river bank and started questioning them. Allegedly these people were emptying the rice kept in a drum into the river. In the footage, one of the accused ran away on a bike after seeing the angry people, while the other was stopped by the people. People were asking him why he was polluting the Ganga and throwing food waste into the river.
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After this incident, debate has erupted on social media on issues like religious sentiments, pollution in the river, civic sense and environmental responsibility.
Anger among saints and devotees
According to local reports, the saints and devotees of Haridwar have expressed deep anger over this act. Many users on social media have also called it an insult to Ganga, which is considered sacred by crores of Hindus. Many people have demanded strict legal action against the accused. One user wrote that the river is already struggling with pollution and such actions are making the situation worse. Another user said that throwing non-veg food in the river deeply hurts religious sentiments and should be considered a criminal matter.
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Some users tagged Haridwar Police and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and demanded immediate arrest and punishment.
People’s opinion is divided online
While most people are condemning this act, some people say that pollution in the river is a bigger issue than just this one incident. A user raised the question as to why people pay less attention to the sewage and chemicals from factories being discharged into the Ganga. Another social media post said that poor citizen understanding and lack of awareness remains a major problem in India when it comes to the safety of rivers and public spaces. Some users criticized attempts to make the issue a communal or religious dispute. His argument was that no river or pond should be considered a dustbin, no matter what the religion.
Video surfaced a few days after UP’s biryani case
This video from Haridwar has surfaced a few days after a similar controversy took place in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, which had caught the attention of the country. In March this year, eight people were accused of throwing leftover chicken biryani into the Ganga after an Iftar party in Varanasi. There were a lot of protests and sharp reactions on social media regarding this matter also. Recently, the Allahabad High Court granted bail to all the eight accused in separate decisions. Justice Rajiv Lochan Shukla granted bail to five accused, while Justice Jitendra Kumar Sinha granted bail to the remaining three.
According to the observations recorded in the court’s judgment, the three accused – Mohammad Sameer, Mohammad Ahmed Raza and Mohammad Faizan – apologized before the court and promised not to repeat such acts in future. Their lawyers had argued that the accused have been falsely implicated, have no criminal history and were in jail since March 17.
Concern over pollution and religious sentiments
This latest incident in Haridwar has once again exposed the sensitive relationship between environmental protection and religious sentiments related to the river Ganga. For crores of people, Ganga is not only an important river but also a symbol of faith and spirituality. At the same time, environmental experts and activists have been repeatedly warning about the increasing pollution levels in the river due to sewage, industrial waste, plastic and carelessness of people.
waiting for police action
At present, there is no official confirmation whether Haridwar Police has registered any case in relation to this viral video or not. However, the footage is being shared widely online and users are demanding accountability and strict action against those accused of polluting the river.