A senior Muslim officer in Jammu and Kashmir has landed in hot water after making a "lighthearted" remark about a vegetarian Hindu colleague's eating preferences, which eventually led to his suspension from service and a criminal case being filed against him for "outraging religious sentiments."
A criminal case was registered against Abdul Rashid Kohli, a senior Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) officer.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), a copy of which was viewed by Sputnik, the complainant, Sanjeev Sharma, accused Kohli of hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindu community at a local restaurant.
The duo, along with two other colleagues, were having lunch when the incident took place, according to the FIR. Upon seeing Sharma ordering a vegetarian dish, Kohli allegedly questioned his food choice, while remarking that the ancient Hindu texts the Vedas allow Hindus to consume non-vegetarian food.
Sharma claimed that Kohli was mocking his religion and preference to have vegetarian food, as a vast majority of Hindus avoid eating meat products due to their religious codes, and later filed a complaint over the incident.
In the complaint, Sharma claimed Kohli told him that the Vedas permit Hindus to eat non-vegetarian food, including beef, which offended the man, because Hindus consider cows a sacred animal. Sharma also questioned whether the government employees in the Jammu and Kashmir union territory are "ruled by Islamic laws, or the Constitution of India."
Meanwhile, Kohli clarified to Sputnik that he did not make any comments against Sharma or Hinduism and that the ordeal is just about a lighthearted conversation. He blamed social media for sensationalizing the incident.
“I do not have any agenda and it has become sensational due to rumors on social media. I don’t have any personal issues with anyone. The law will take its own course,” Kohli said.
Kohli also said that he has already met Sharma and his parents to clear up any misunderstanding regarding the incident.
A prominent lawyer from Jammu, Sheikh Shakeel, opined that the suspension order against Kohli was excessive.
“The suspension order is not happily worded. There is also no reference of the approval from any competent authority or appointing authority. The Deputy Commissioner (who ordered Kohli's suspension) may not have the knowledge and I think due to the nature of the controversy or on some political pressure this order has been issued which should be withdrawn immediately,” Shakeel told a local reporter in Jammu.