JOIN USTanishq showroom in Gujarat forced to write apology over its alleged 'Love Jihad' ad
A Tanishq showroom in Gandhidham town of Kutch district was forced to write an apology and paste it on its front door for the advertisement which hit headlines after it was accused of promoting "love jihad" on social media, forcing the jewellery brand to withdraw the ad. Meanwhile, the showroom in Gandhidham has received dozens of threat calls from the district and several parts of the state but the management has yet not approached police with a complaint.
After news reports suggesting that the showroom was "targeted by a mob", Kutch (East) Superintendent of Police Mayur Patil told reporters inside the showroom, "No such incident has occurred." However, he said on October 12 that, two persons-one identified as Ramesh Ahir (Maitra)- entered the showroom and sought an apology in Gujarati.
A video of Ahir threatening to write an apology and put it in front of the showroom has gone viral. The showroom management followed the "instruction" and wrote an apology that reads, "The campaign of Tanishq circulated in the media is shameful and Gandhidham Tanishq apologies to Samagra Kutch Jilla Hindu Samaj. "
"On 13th October night, the management (showroom) informed us about the threat call and sought police deployment. We did that and increased patrolling in the area. We haven't received any formal complaint from them," Patil told DH over the phone. He added that he was not aware of any mob came to the showroom demanding an apology.
Meanwhile, Ramesh Ahir, the man who reportedly forced the showroom to write the apology, told local media that he had indeed gone to the showroom. "I felt that the Tanishq ad was against my religious sentiments. I told them that it is the only showroom in the whole of Kutch and hence it should apologise to the people. The report in the media that the showroom was attacked is completely false. I am a simple businessman and I will never want to destroy a business. I only want that neither mine nor anyone's religion should be insulted."