Shop owner Jayanth arrested following complaint
Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu – A cloth advertising banner installed outside a biryani eatery here depicted Shri Ganesh cooking biryani, sparking fierce opposition. The advertisement read, ‘Arabic Style 65 Biryani – Rs 99’. As this deeply hurt the religious sentiments of people, a formal complaint was lodged.
Hindu organisations object to the banner
Hindus and members of the Hindu Munnani raised strong objections to the depiction of the Hindu deity, Shri Ganesh, in an advertisement promoting non-vegetarian food. Office-bearers, members, and activists of the organisation, alongside local residents, gathered outside the restaurant demanding the immediate removal of the banner.
SHOCKING! A Biryani shop in Tirunelveli displayed a banner showing LORD GANESHA cooking CHICKEN BIRYANI for a Vinayagar Chaturthi offer, sparking protests over hurt religious sentiments.
Police REMOVED the banner, and shop owner Jayant ARRESTED.pic.twitter.com/j0DzA1xDSv
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) September 15, 2026
The protesters stated that using the sacred image of Bhagwan Shri Ganesh to promote chicken biryani was highly objectionable and had offended Hindu religious sentiments. The incident led to brief tension outside the eatery, and images of the banner subsequently went viral on social media.
Upon receiving information about the incident, the Tirunelveli City Police arrived at the scene and removed the offending banner. In video footage of the incident, a police officer could be seen stepping onto the reception counter to take down the large advertisement. Police officers warned the shopkeeper against putting up advertisements that wound religious sentiments and assured Hindu Munnani representatives of appropriate legal action.
Following this, the police arrested the 30-year-old shop owner, Jayanth. The police are currently investigating who designed the banner and precisely when it was installed.
