A youth in Madhya Pradesh has claimed that he was denied a job in the Indian Army only because of a tattoo on his chest. However, he may only have himself to blame.
Saurabh Bilgaiyan (23) said that he applied for a job in the army five times in the past, and that he had met all the criteria. He claims he was rejected only when they saw the tattoo PM Modi and CM Chouhan during chest measurement, Deshdeep Saxena of The Times of India reported.
"I was not dropped for lacking in any department, but for the tattoo," Bilgaiyan told TOI. Bilgaiyan had got the tattoo in February, 2014 after he was impressed by PM Modi’s speeches in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and was already a fan of the MP CM.
The resident of MP's Tikamgarh district who has studied till 10th grade has a tattoo which reads 'Jab tak sooraj chand rahega Shivraj mama aur Modi ka naam rahega'
He told TOI that he went to Karadi near Pune in Maharashtra in 2014 where he was first disqualified. Later, the pattern repeated in Anuppur and Guna army camps.
TOI reported Bilgaiyan now wants to meet the two leaders to enquire about the repeated rejection.
The army’s tattoo policy came into effect on May 11, 2015. Body inscriptions are only permitted on the forearms, and only those from tribal communities will be allowed to sport full-blown tattoos.
Candidates are required to provide a self-certified certificate declaring all the ‘inkings’ and a separate form has to be filled for every tattoo.
A camera and measuring tape will be needed as you need to mention the size, language and the significance of the tattoo, and take a picture of every tattoo for the record.