Shamli (Uttar Pradesh): Just ahead of Navratri, a video from Shamli showing a man making juice by mixing spit has gone viral, taking Hindu devotees and organisations by shock. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon and was caught on CCTV footage near the flower market here. The Sadar Kotwali Police arrested the juice vendor Asif after his video of spitting in juice went viral.
The video showed Asif spitting thrice into the juice mug while preparing the refreshing drink for his customers. He is also seen wiping his mouth after the act.
Taking cognizance of such incidents that have happened in different parts of the country, in a high-level meeting on Tuesday, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given instructions for thorough investigation, verification etc. of all the hotels, dhabas, restaurants and related establishments in the state. The Chief Minister has given instructions to take strict action against those who adulterate food items with human waste or dirty things.
Netizens are filled with disgust and anger after witnessing the video online. Several Hindu organisations have begun demanding strict action against the accused for making a joke out of religious faith. Taking cognizance of this, police officials here directed the Shamli Kotwali in charge to look into the video and investigate the case.
Circle Officer (City) Shamli Shyam Singh said the investigation is underway to find out if the allegations levelled against the said juice seller are true or not. BJP leader Vivek Premi said that such cases have come to light on several occasions in the past.
"It is because of people like these that we fear violation of sanctity on festivals such as Navratri. In cases like these, simply arresting the criminal is not enough, other provisions for strict punishment should also be considered," Premi added.
This is not the first time that Hindu organisations have come out in protest against such practices. Last week, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) executive officer J Shyamala Rao confirmed that lab tests revealed the presence of animal fat and lard in selected samples of the world-famous Tirupati ‘Laddu prasadam’.
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