Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh: Two Muslim men running a juice stall were arrested in Ghaziabad’s Nandgram area following a complaint by a Bajrang Dal member who alleged that they had ‘mixed urine’ into the juice being served to Kanwar Yatra pilgrims. The arrest was made under Section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which permits preventive detention without a warrant, reported the Madhyamam.
The accused, Zeeshan and Mahtab, operated a juice shop at Sihani Chungi on the Delhi-Meerut Highway. Despite the absence of any immediate evidence or lab confirmation, the duo was taken into custody on Sunday. According to officials, samples of the juice were sent to the Food Safety Department for testing, and results are expected within 15 days.
The incident has sparked outrage and concern among civil rights groups, especially in light of the Uttar Pradesh Government’s controversial new directive mandating QR code stickers for all shops located along the 540-km Kanwar Yatra route. Critics argue that this move, under the guise of ensuring hygiene and transparency, disproportionately targets Muslim-owned food businesses.
Authorities claim the regulation is meant to provide accountability and enhance safety for the estimated four crore devotees participating in the annual pilgrimage. However, the swift police action—based solely on a complaint from a right-wing Hindu group and without concrete evidence—has reignited fears of biased law enforcement and religious profiling.
The juice shop has since been sealed, further fueling allegations of economic marginalisation of Muslim vendors during the Kanwar Yatra season.
The Kanwar Yatra is a major religious event in North India, where millions of Kanwarias—walk to destinations like Haridwar, Gangotri, and Gaumukh in Uttarakhand, and Ajgaibinath in Bihar, to fetch Ganga water.
The arrests and the QR code mandate, critics warn, may be part of a broader pattern of surveillance and suppression of Muslim livelihoods under the Yogi Adityanath-led government.
