A meeting was convened, and the band owners agreed to rename their businesses to reflect their Muslim identities, though some expressed concerns about potential impacts on their livelihoods, particularly within the Hindu wedding market. This follows similar controversies regarding Muslim-run eateries using Hindu names.

BAREILLY: Moradabad police have called a meeting of city-based band owners and advised Muslim operators to stop using names of Hindu deities or Hindu names, and rename their businesses to reveal their identities. There are over 500 big and small bands operating in Moradabad city, and owners of at least 20 reputed bands are from the Muslim community.

The development comes after a Moradabad-based advocate, Shavi Singh, filed a complaint on the CM portal on July 9, saying such practices were offensive to religious sentiments.SP (city) Kumar Ranvijay Singh said, “We received a direction regarding this after the complaint was filed on the CM portal, and summoned the band owners. However, we’re not authorised to order renaming of these bands, and so made both parties sit together and arrive at a consensus. In the meeting, Muslim band owners have agreed to comply with the directions and rename their businesses. They, however, said they have pending bookings, and new bookings will be made under new names.” Speaking to TOI, advocate Singh said, “These band owners are Muslims, and they have named their business either after a Hindu deity or with Hindu surnames—Sharma or Agrawal. I don’t have any problem with their faith, but my concern is that they should reveal their identities and do business.”Singh added, “When UP govt asked Muslim eatery owners to reveal their names so that consumers are aware of where they are eating, band owners should also do the same…”Speaking to TOI on condition of anonymity, a Muslim band owner complained in a hushed tone that the action will ruin their livelihood. “About 70% of our business is generated from Hindu weddings. In the current scenario, being Muslims, no one will hire us if the wedge of hatred is driven deep into the realm of music and entertainment,” he added.The issue echoes recent controversies that cropped up during the kanwar yatra, when Muslim-run eateries and restaurants using Hindu names sparked protests. In an instance in UP’s Muzaffarnagar, a few right-wing members even tried to strip an eatery owner to check his identity.