Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) national spokesperson Vinod Bansal has strongly reacted to a viral video showing an Iftar gathering on the Ganga in Varanasi. Speaking to IANS, he said, “In the sacred waters of the Ganga, certain Islamic extremist elements have not only committed sacrilege and disrupted religious observances like fasting, but they have also desecrated the river… This is a direct challenge, implying, ‘We will do anything; you try to stop us.’”
Delhi: Vishwa Hindu Parishad National Spokesperson Vinod Bansal says, "In the sacred waters of the Ganga, certain Islamic extremist elements have not only committed sacrilege and disrupted religious observances like fasting, but they have also desecrated the river by throwing… pic.twitter.com/c7z4G3KSHn
— IANS (@ians_india) March 18, 2026
The controversy started when a video of Muslim youths celebrating an Iftar party on a boat went viral on social media. According to media reports, on Monday, 16th March, a Muslim youth arranged a Roza Iftar party and invited people. Dry fruits and chicken biryani were served during the party. The video shows people eating together from a vessel.
14 Arrested For Eating Chicken Biryani On Boat In Ganga River In Varanasihttps://t.co/vt29ULJGcM pic.twitter.com/MQv7Uqu3Hw
— NDTV (@ndtv) March 18, 2026
FIR filed, 14 arrested
Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader Rajat Jaiswal filed a complaint with the police. Following this, an FIR was lodged. 14 people have been arrested so far.
Rajat Jaiswal stated in his complaint that people ate chicken biryani and threw the bones into the sacred Ganga River, hurting religious sentiments. He further said that this has hurt the sentiments of Sanatanis and that young people in the Muslim community are deliberately promoting a jihadist mindset. He also demanded action against the boat driver.
