Highlights:
- A picture of Shah Rukh Khan offering a dua and Pooja Dadlani joining her hands in ‘pranaam’ went viral.
- According to Netizens, the actor was ‘blowing air,’ which is allegedly a typical practise in Islam.
- Lata Mangeshkar, the ‘Queen of Melody,’ breathed her last early Sunday morning, February 6, at the age of 92.
As the country bid a tearful farewell to iconic singer Lata Mangeshkar, pictures of superstar Shah Rukh Khan offering a dua at the cremation ground went viral, sparking a controversy.
Pictures from the funeral ceremony in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park show Mr Khan and his manager Pooja Dadlani paying their condolences to the singer. A photo showing Mr Khan raising his hands in dua and Ms Dadlani joining her hands in a ‘pranaam’ went viral on social media, with most people praising how the picture brilliantly reflected India’s diversity.
Ishwar Allah tere naam,⁰sabko sanmati de bhagwan
— Rana Safvi رعنا राना (@iamrana) February 6, 2022
??? pic.twitter.com/qIckax0T9x
From politicians to authors to student leaders, people from diverse spheres praised the superstar’s warm gesture.
No hate can conquer this….
— Aishe (ঐশী) (@aishe_ghosh) February 6, 2022
❤️#ShahRukhKhan pic.twitter.com/rCKoKu2mvX
एक दुआ हिंदुस्तानियत के नाम!#ShahRukhKhan pic.twitter.com/fe22YvdjCA
— Lalitesh Pati Tripathi (@LaliteshPati) February 7, 2022
However, a tweet by a Haryana BJP politician sparked a controversy.
Arun Yadav, who claims to be the state in-charge of the Haryana BJP’s IT unit, released a short video of Mr Khan doing the dua, removing his mask, and blowing air.
“Did he spit?” Mr Yadav questioned on Twitter, sparking a social media backlash against the actor, with many accusing him of disrespecting the iconic singer during her funeral.
क्या इसने थूका है ❓ pic.twitter.com/RZOa2NVM5I
— Arun Yadav (@beingarun28) February 6, 2022
The BJP leader faced a strong criticism on social media as many pointed out that blowing air after a dua is to “ward off bad spirits,” accusing him of making a drama out of a beautiful moment.
Supriya Shrinate, a Congress politician, was among those who attacked Arun Yadav, accusing him of inciting hate.
You aren’t just a bigot but pure evil to twist a dua said in reverence of the departed soul to spread hatred.
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) February 6, 2022
Think about it people, will we let the evil win?#LataMangeshkar #ShahRukhKhan
Chandra Kumar Bose, the grandnephew of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, tweeted that this is the culture of India that “bigots cannot digest.”
#ShahRukhKhan at #LataMangeshkar 's funeral offering prayers! This is the real heritage & culture of India. Certain religious bigots cannot digest it! pic.twitter.com/75B4w0GY3A
— Chandra Kumar Bose (@Chandrakbose) February 7, 2022
Following the backlash, the BJP leader tweeted today that he had “only asked a question” and that “opponents did not appreciate his efforts in the national interest.”
कल सोशल मीडिया पर शाहरुख खान की एक वीडियो वायरल हो रही थी,मैंने सिर्फ पता लगाने कि कोशिश की और प्रशन पूछा कि सच्चाई क्या है ❓
— Arun Yadav (@beingarun28) February 7, 2022
प्रश्न करने पर जो रिएक्शन आये उससे लगता है कि मेरा देशहित में काम करना मोदी और योगी विरोधियों को अच्छा नही लग रहा ?
