Muslim youth arrested for performing ‘vaju’ in the Golden Temple

(‘Vaju’ refers to the ritual washing of hands and feet performed before offering namaz in a mosque.)

A Muslim youth while courting

Amritsar (Punjab) – A Muslim youth was arrested by the police after a video surfaced showing him performing ‘vaju’ in the sacred water body of the revered Golden Temple of Sikhs. The accused has been identified as Subhan Rangrez, a resident of the Loni area in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh.

Subhan runs a gymnasium in Loni and had recently visited Amritsar as a tourist. During this visit, he committed the objectionable act. In the viral video, Subhan is clearly seen washing his hands and feet, gargling, and spitting into the holy pool; an act that has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh community.

Taking serious note of the incident, the police arrested Subhan on charges of deliberately offending religious sentiments.

After the video triggered widespread outrage, Subhan released another video apologising for his actions, claiming that the incident occurred due to a mistake and without malicious intent.

Meanwhile, people belonging to Sikh community staged protests outside the Ankur Vihar police station in the Loni area of Ghaziabad, demanding strict action and the arrest of the accused.

Editorial Perspective

There is an urgent need for a law on the lines of Pakistan; mandating capital punishment for those who deliberately hurt the religious sentiments of other faiths.