LUCKNOW: After state government’s move to push Muslim restaurateurs to put their names on their establishments in order to stop them from using Hindu names, a new controversy has erupted, especially in western UP, over the wedding bands run by Muslims but named after Hindu Gods and Goddesses in Moradabad district.
As per sources, Shaby Sharma, a lawyer, registered a complaint on the chief minister’s portal on July 9 claiming that around 15 to 20 Muslim band operators in the district were running their businesses under the names of Hindu deities. Taking note of the complaint, the district police swung into action and Moradabad SP (City) Kumar Ranvijay Singh summoned several band operators, most of them Muslims, and instructed them to not name their bands after Hindu deities. The band owners agreed, said the police sources.
According to police, the complainant argued that this practice was hurting religious sentiments. “On Tuesday, they were summoned and directed to remove such names. All of them agreed to comply,” Singh said. However, there is nothing illegal in a Muslim band owner naming his band after a Hindu God.
Meanwhile, the complainant said that the band industry in Moradabad was largely dominated by Muslims, yet many of these establishments operate under Hindu names, including those of gods and goddesses. “This is an attempt to distort identity. The CM himself has called for action against such practices,” he claimed. “I had submitted a formal complaint on the CM portal, and now the police have taken action. This is not discrimination, it is legal action.”
Moradabad has over 500 wedding bands in operation. No band operator immediately objected to the complaint and the police order. However, local sources claimed that many Muslim wedding band operators run under a Hindu name for various reasons, like naming it after their mentors who had been Hindus to carry their legacy forward.
However, many band owners have sought time from the district administration for compliance with the latest order as they have advance bookings in the old name. Earlier, a similar controversy had erupted during the Kanwar Yatra, when several dhabas and restaurants run by Muslims were found to be using Hindu names.