Uttarakhand is once again mired in the controversy of alleged ‘Thook (spit) Jihad’ as a video showing a chef spitting on chapati went viral in social media leading to stir in the Bageshwar town. Incident took place near Municipal Council building.

It’s seen in the video that a man was spitting on the chapatis before placing them in the tandoor. As the video went viral local right wing organisations vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists created bedlam in the town.

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Situation turned more critical as the hotel where incident took place was located in Uttarayan fair area.

Bajrang Dal’s district president Vijay Parihar and his supporters protested in front of the hotel alleging that it’s an attempt to play the sentiments of the Hindus at the time when locals are taking part in the annual Uttarayan fair.
Parihar alleged “Hindus abstain consuming non vegeterian and other spicy food items in the holy month of Magh as we observe Uttarayan. Hindus perform one of most pious ritual upanayan ceremony of their children after taking holy dip and praying at the Saryu river bank. Besides this people prefer and look for having pure food but video is an evidence that the hotel in question and its staff have least regard for religious feelings and rituals of the local public.”

Right wing organisations also tried to force closure of the hotel but for the intervention by the police.

As the situation turned seriously Bageshwar City Kotwali Police swung into action and took to the hotel owner and the accused man in the custody. The arrested men have been identified as Aamir and Firasat.

“Hotel was being run by a man from Muslim community near municipal building. Incident took place at around 10 pm as per video showing one accused spitting on the chapatis ahead of pushing it inside the tandoor. An FIR was lodged by VHP workers and Bajarang president Vijay Parihar against the accused men for hurting religious sentiments of the people. Both the accused have been arrested” said SHO Kailash Negi.

Meanwhile Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reiterated that ‘thook jihad’ will be not be tolerated by the state government in Uttarakhand. He warned that those trying to play with religious sentiments of the people will be dealt with heavy hands.

This is the second incident within six months a video carrying a man spitting on the eatable before serving it to the consumers went viral in the state. Earlier a similar video from Mussoorie went viral in which a tea vendor was seen spitting in the kettle and them serving it to the people.