Haridwar: A Muslim woman was allegedly harassed by a Hindutva worker for washing clothes in the Ganga river in Haridwar, while other devotees seen doing the same in the background were not confronted.
A video of the incident, which surfaced on Thursday, July 2, shows a local Hindutva activist and his companion approaching the woman as she was leaving the riverbank carrying a bucket of washed clothes.
In the video, the activist is heard telling her, "Tereko mana kiya tha na kapde Gangaji mein nahi dhone hai (You were asked not to wash clothes here in the Ganga)."
He accused the woman of repeatedly ignoring warnings and alleged that "people like her" had spoiled the area by setting up jhopdis (settlements) and stealing from devotees.
"Sara kaam karte hai tum. Aaj ke baad milja na yaha pe (You people do everything. Do not come here again after today)," he is heard saying.
At the same time, the video shows several men in the background washing and wringing their clothes in the river without being questioned or stopped by the Hindutva workers.
The video triggered mixed reactions on social media. Some users alleged that the woman was singled out because of her religious identity rather than concerns over cleanliness. Others defended the intervention, citing the sanctity of the Ganga, which is considered sacred by Hindus.
The incident comes amid previous controversies over activities on the Ganga. In March, during Ramzan, 14 youths were arrested after holding a boat party where chicken biryani was served. A local Hindutva leader filed a complaint, alleging that consuming non-vegetarian food on the holy river hurt religious sentiments and that leftovers were thrown into the water. The group was granted bail two months after their arrest.
In a similar case on June 25, five men were arrested for allegedly hosting a boat party with chicken and alcohol on the Ganga in Varanasi. Unlike the March case, in which all the accused were Muslims, the five men were granted bail within 24 hours of their arrest.