Muslim youth booked for allegedly eating food at Bhandara in UP’S Moradabad: Report
New Delhi: A young muslim man from Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad district was allegedly arrested by the police for eating food at a Bhandara (Hindu religious gathering). This incident has sparked outrage among human rights activists and Muslim groups across the country, reports Clarion India.
According to the report, the incident occurred under the jurisdiction of Bilari police station. On July 16 evening, Faiz, a resident of Naya Gaon in Sambhal district, was reportedly returning from Haridwar when he stopped at a bhandara (community feast) in Gandhi Park to have a meal. The event was organised as part of the Sawan festivities, during which such feasts are typically open to everyone. However, this time, things took a disturbing turn.
Quoting eyewitnesses, the report mentioned that Faiz was quietly eating like any other visitor when a few volunteers from the bhandara committee grew suspicious of him. They reportedly confronted him and insisted on knowing his name. Sensing the tense, communally sensitive atmosphere, Faiz identified himself as Kapil. He reportedly even pointed to an ‘Om’ symbol on his hand, likely stamped during his visit to Haridwar, where such marks are commonly given to pilgrims.
Under mounting pressure , Faiz eventually admitted, “My name is Faiz. I’m from Sambhal and I was just hungry. I was returning from Haridwar and stopped here when I saw food being served. I meant no harm.”
Following this, the organisers accused Faiz of concealing his identity and deliberately hurting religious sentiments. The police were called, and Faiz was taken into custody. A complaint was lodged by Neeraj Kumar, a local organiser, who alleged that Faiz’s presence could have led to the “desecration of prasad” and claimed that his “intentions were not right.”
Acting on the complaint, the Bilari police booked Faiz under Section 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), accusing him of using a false identity to access a religious gathering. Preventive action was initiated, and he was fined under challan proceedings.
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Ladakh a living land of dharma for centuries: Amit Shah
Leh/Jammu (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday described the return of sacred relics of Lord Buddha to Ladakh after 75 years as a "historic reunion" and said that the Union Territory has remained a "living land of dharma", preserving and nurturing Buddhist knowledge for centuries.
Stressing the relevance of Buddha's teachings in modern times, Shah said the message of peace, compassion and the middle path was even more important today than it was 2,500 years ago.
"Ladakh has been a living land of dharma for centuries. When the Dalai Lama comes here, he says this land is not merely a geographical land but a living laboratory of Buddhist culture and compassion," Shah said, speaking after the inauguration of the sacred holy relics exposition of Tathagata Buddha and the 2569th Buddha Purnima celebrations at Jivetsal in Leh during his two-day visit to Ladakh.
Calling Ladakh a land of compassion, he said this land has preserved and nurtured knowledge. "Whenever Buddhism faced crises, this land worked to protect the teachings of Buddha. And when peace returned, it helped to expand and carry forward that preserved wisdom," he added.
"Unless one internalises knowledge and makes it a part of oneself, liberation is not possible. Knowledge is incomplete without spiritual practice, while spiritual practice without knowledge is blind. Therefore, the union of spiritual practice and knowledge is the right path. Even after all this, if there is no moral discipline, one cannot lead a truly wise life. The basis of a life of wisdom is moral discipline," he said.
Shah said it was through Ladakh and adjoining routes that the teachings of Tathagata Buddha, which originated in India, spread to China and several other countries.
"The message that emerged from the land of Ladakh has become a guiding force for many people around the world to take their lives forward. The presence of these sacred relics in Ladakh reminds us that India's civilisation has, for thousands of years, given the message of peace and coexistence," he said.
He said that in a diverse region like Ladakh and Kargil, this message becomes even more relevant. "This heritage still tells us today that amidst conflict and unrest, only the path of peace and compassion can provide solutions."
He said the return of the relics on Buddha Purnima had enhanced the significance of the festival for the people of Ladakh.
"These sacred relics have come to Ladakh after 75 years. It is as if Buddha himself is present here today," Shah said, adding that followers of Buddhism and people of other faiths in Ladakh and Kargil would draw spiritual energy from the relics.
Highlighting Ladakh's role in the spread of Buddhism, Shah said Kashmir was once an ancient centre of Buddhist studies, Mahayana philosophy and Buddhist art, from where Ladakh first came into close contact with Buddhism.
He said Emperor Ashoka's envoys laid the foundation of Buddhist influence in Ladakh through Kashmir and Gandhara, while Mahayana Buddhism expanded in the region during the Kushan period between the first and third centuries CE.
The Silk Route linking Kashmir, Leh, Yarkand, Khotan and Tibet became a channel not only for trade but also for ideas, monks, manuscripts and artistic traditions, Shah said.
He added that later, Tibetan influence between the seventh and tenth centuries further enriched Ladakh through Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions.
Stressing the relevance of Buddha's teachings in modern times, Shah said the message of peace, compassion and the middle path was even more important today than it was 2,500 years ago.
"Amid conflict and unrest, only the path of peace and compassion can provide solutions," he said.
Shah also appealed to the Ladakh administration to ensure complete arrangements so that followers of all faiths, especially Buddhists, could visit and pay obeisance to the relics.
#WATCH लेह, लद्दाख: केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री अमित शाह ने कहा, "जब दलाई लामा यहां आते हैं तो वे कहते हैं कि यह भूमि केवल भौगोलिक भूमि नहीं है। यह भूमि बौद्ध संस्कृति और करुणा की जीवंत प्रयोगशाला है। इस भूमि पर ज्ञान का संरक्षण हुआ है... भारत की सभ्यता हजारों वर्षों से शांति का संदेश… https://t.co/2nwG0w2CE6 pic.twitter.com/W13itRBqeX
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