'Thook Jihad': Uttarakhand Government In Action, Issues Guidelines To Stop Spitting Incidents

With the multiple videos going viral on social media platforms where cooks and juice corner owners were spotted spitting in the food/juices, the Uttarakhand government has swung into action to prevent such incidents, often termed as 'Thook Jihad'. Days after Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami termed 'thook jihad' a serious issue, the Uttarakhand Police on Wednesday issued detailed guidelines for the hotel and dhaba owners of the state.

The guidelines include a 100 per cent verification of hotel and 'dhaba' staff, and installation of CCTV cameras in their kitchens. Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar issued the guidelines on Wednesday, days after two men were arrested in Mussoorie for allegedly spitting into fruit juice glasses before serving them to tourists. A video from Dehradun had also gone viral in which a cook could be seen allegedly spitting while making dough for rotis.

The state police chief's guidelines align with the Chief Minister's directives. They mandate 100 per cent verification of individuals working in business establishments such as hotels and dhabas. Additionally, the guidelines encourage business managers to install CCTV cameras in their kitchens.

According to the guidelines issued to district police, they can seek assistance from local intelligence units to prevent such incidents in open spaces like kiosks and pushcarts. Special attention should be given to this during patrols, the guidelines added. Police can also collaborate with the Health and Food Department for random inspections at hotels and dhabas, as per the provisions.

The DGP stated that offenders should be charged under Section 274 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (adulteration of food and drink intended for sale) and Section 81 of the Uttarakhand Police Act (arrest without warrant for creating a public nuisance, knowingly spreading rumours, or causing false alarms to mislead the police, fire brigade, or other essential services).

If the act in question has an adverse effect on religion, ethnicity, language etc., then action should also be taken under relevant section 196 (1) (B) ( promoting enmity between different groups based on religion, race, language, place of birth, or residence) or 299 of BNS (deliberate and malicious acts that are intended to insult the religious beliefs or religion of any class of citizens in India). A public awareness campaign should also be run in coordination with the Health and Food Department, Municipal Corporation/District Panchayat, Municipal Councils and local people, the guidelines said.