BJP MP from Karnataka, Anantkumar Hegde, has written a letter to tyre major Ceat objecting to its recent advertisement on bursting crackers. In the ad, Aamir Khan is seen urging people to not burst firecrackers on roads. In his letter, he said that “he hoped that in future Ceat will respect the feelings of Hindus and will not hurt them as such advertisements are creating unrest among Hindus.” In his letter written to the Managing Director and CEO of the company Anant Vardhan Goenka on October 14, Anantkumar objected to the advertisement where Bollywood star Aamir Khan advises people not to burst crackers on the streets. "The company should also address the problem of blocking of roads in the name of Namaz and sound pollution caused from mosques during Azaan," he said.
This is not the MP’s first Islamophobic comment, several times in the past, he has courted controversy with his attack against Muslims.
Incidentally this letter also came to light after Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya on October 19 expressed reservations about FabIndia naming their Diwali collection as ‘Jashn-e-Riwaaz’. Surya took to Twitter and claimed that Fabindia was "defacing" the Hindu festival of Deepavali by using an Urdu name.
Hegde said, "As you are keen and sensitive towards problems faced by general public and you also belong to Hindu Community, I am sure you can feel discrimination done to Hindus since centuries. A group of anti-Hindu actors always hurt the Hindu sentiments whereas, they never try to expose the wrongdoings of their community."
He requested the management to take note of the recent advertisement by the company creating unrest among Hindus. "Your company's recent advertisement in which Aamir Khan advises people not to burst firecrackers on the streets is giving a good message. Your concern for public issues needs applause. In this regard I request you to address one more problem faced by people on roads i.e. blocking roads in the name of Namaz on Fridays and other important festive days by Muslims," Hegde said.
"It is a very common scene in many Indian cities where Muslims block busy roads and perform Namaz, and at that time, vehicles, ambulances and firefighters are stuck in traffic causing grave losses. Every day, loud noise is emitted from mikes arranged on top of mosques in our country while giving Azaan. That sound is beyond permissible levels. On Fridays, the prayers in mosques are prolonged. It is a great inconvenience to people who have health issues, who are resting and teaching," he explained.
"I kindly request you to take cognizance of this particular incident where your company's advertisement has created unrest among the Hindus," he maintained.