Faiz, a 21-year-old resident of Naya Gaon in Sambhal district, has been arrested on charges of hiding his identity
NEW DELHI – In a shocking incident that has sparked outrage among rights activists and Muslim groups across the country, a young Muslim man named Faiz was arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad district for the simple act of eating food at a Hindu religious gathering, commonly known as a Bhandara. This disturbing case raises serious concerns about religious discrimination, human dignity, and the growing hostility towards Muslims in some parts of the country.
The incident took place in the Bilari police station area on the evening of 16 July. Faiz, a 21-year-old resident of Naya Gaon in Sambhal district, had reportedly been returning from Haridwar when he stopped at a Bhandara in Gandhi Park to have a meal. Organised as part of the Hindu month of Sawan, these public feasts are usually open to all. But this time, things went terribly wrong.
According to eyewitnesses, Faiz was quietly eating like any other visitor when some volunteers from the Bhandara committee grew suspicious. They began questioning him and demanded to know his name. Faiz, fearing a backlash in the highly charged religious atmosphere, said his name was Kapil. He even showed the ‘Om’ symbol written on his hand – likely made in Haridwar, where such marks are often applied to pilgrims.
But that was not enough. Under pressure and visible fear, Faiz revealed his real name, saying, “My name is Faiz. I am from Sambhal and I was just hungry. I was coming from Haridwar and stopped here when I saw food being served. I meant no harm.”
What followed next was nothing short of disgraceful. The organisers accused him of hiding his identity and intentionally hurting religious feelings. Police were called. Faiz was taken into custody. A complaint was filed by one Neeraj Kumar, a local organiser, who alleged that the youth’s presence could have led to the “desecration of prasad” and claimed that his “intentions were not right.”
Based on this complaint, Bilari police booked Faiz under Section 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), accusing him of using a false identity to enter a religious space. Preventive action was taken and he was fined under challan proceedings.
The question now being asked across India is simple: Was Faiz’s crime hunger, or being born Muslim?
Across social media, lawyers, activists, and common citizens have questioned the police action and the attitude of the Bhandara organisers.
Zainab Naqvi, a lawyer from Lucknow, expressed anger at the development. “This is not just about one young man. It’s about the shrinking space for Muslims in this country. Asking someone’s religion before feeding them is against everything that Indian culture and religion stand for. And now even food is being denied in God’s name.”
Ayesha Khan, a student of sociology, said: “If feeding the hungry is a sin now, we’ve truly lost our moral compass. Where is the idea of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) that we love to speak about internationally?”
In Indian tradition, food given in Bhandaras is meant to be offered with love to all, regardless of caste, class, or religion. Sikh langars, Muslim niyaz, and Hindu bhandaras have historically welcomed anyone who came with an empty stomach. But today, it seems that even this basic idea of service has been hijacked by religious hatred.
Prominent Muslim cleric Maulana Arshad Madani commented on the issue saying, “We are living in a time where a Muslim has to think twice before drinking water from a public place. This case shows that even humanity has become selective. This is not the India our elders fought for.”
Local Hindu social worker and retired teacher, Vishwanath Shukla, criticised the organisers: “We worship Lord Shiva as the God of the poor. Our temples are supposed to serve food to everyone. This act of registering a case against a hungry boy is shameful. No religion teaches us this.”
One of the most controversial parts of the case is the action taken by the police. Instead of protecting a hungry young man from humiliation and public insult, they arrested him and filed a case.
Senior journalist Shahnawaz Ansari said, “This is clearly one-sided action. Faiz should have been protected, not prosecuted. A young man was harassed, threatened, and finally handed over to police. Who will answer for the trauma he faced?”
The Muslim community in Moradabad is asking tough questions. “If a Muslim had stopped a Hindu from eating at a niyaz and handed him over to police, there would have been riots. Why this double standard?” asked Raees Ahmed, a small-time shopkeeper in the Bilari area.
The incident has once again highlighted the fragile state of communal harmony in parts of India. The Bhandara issue came even as Hindu pilgrims have attacked vehicles and Muslim families during the ongoing Kanwar Yatra at other locations during the Sawan Yatra.
Although Moradabad police acted quickly to control the situation and maintain law and order, the damage was already done. Fear, suspicion, and anger now fill the minds of local Muslims who feel increasingly unsafe in public spaces.
Local councillor and Congress leader Irfan Malik demanded that the FIR against Faiz be withdrawn immediately. “We are not living in Pakistan. This is India. Here, every citizen has the right to eat wherever they want. Today, it’s Bhandara. Tomorrow, it may be schools or hospitals. Will we ask someone’s religion before giving treatment or education?”
This case is not just about one man or one meal. It is part of a larger pattern being seen in many parts of India, where Muslims are being treated as outsiders, forced to prove their loyalty and even their hunger.
Speaking on the issue, senior journalist Arfa Khanum Sherwani said, “Every time a Muslim enters a public space, he has to think twice. What if someone asks his name? What if someone checks his ID? This kind of environment creates fear, not unity.”
Human rights activists have called upon the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Minority Commission to take suo motu action against the misuse of police power in the case of Faiz.
They have also appealed to the chief minister and higher judiciary to issue guidelines so that such incidents are not repeated in the future.
Advocate Shahbaz Ali said, “If the Constitution gives every citizen the right to live with dignity, then arresting a hungry youth for eating food violates that right.”
What happened in Moradabad may seem like a small local incident, but it represents a larger, troubling shift in Indian society. The rise of religious polarisation is not just hurting politics — it is now entering public charity, breaking hearts and minds in the process.
As Faiz now returns home with a police case hanging over his head and the trauma of public humiliation, many are wondering: Will justice be served, or has India moved beyond fairness?
Razia Begum, a local woman who witnessed the incident, shared her view: “He looked just like any other poor boy. He was quietly eating. What crime did he commit?”
Mohammad Usman, an auto-rickshaw driver, added, “If this is what happens to Muslims who just eat food, what should we expect in the future? Are we even safe outside our homes?”
