Amir Khan’s Ceat Tyre’s ad over burning crackers on Diwali is creating controversy
The debates about ads do not appear to be going away anytime soon. Following the uproar over Fabindia’s Diwali campaign, Hindu fundamentalists have criticized another commercial.
Taking issue with a Ceat Ltd advertisement in which actor Aamir Khan is shown urging people not to explode crackers on the streets, BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde has challenged the firm to address the “problem of roads being blocked in the name of Namaz and noise produced from mosques during Azan.”
In a letter to Anant Vardhan Goenka, the firm’s MD and CEO, the MP asked him to take note of the recent advertising that caused “unrest among Hindus,” and expressed hope that the company would respect “Hindu feeling” in the future.
“Your company’s latest advertising, in which Aamir Khan advises people not to let off fireworks in the streets, sends a really positive message. Applause is due to your care for public concerns. In this context, I suggest that you handle another issue that people experience on the highways, namely, Muslims obstructing roads in the name of Namaz on Fridays and other significant religious holidays “Hegde said.
In a letter dated October 14, he stated that it is a frequent occurrence in many Indian towns for Muslims to block major highways and recite Namaz and that at this time, vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks are also damaged in traffic, resulting in “severe losses.”
In addition, the MP from Uttara Kannada requested that AV Goenka address the problem of noise pollution in the company’s advertisements, stating that “loud noise is generated from mics installed on the top of mosques in our nation while Azan is offered” every day.
“That noise exceeds the allowed threshold. On Fridays, it is extended for an additional hour. It is creating significant trouble to those who are ill and need to relax, as well as people who work in various companies and instructors who teach in classrooms. This list of victims is actually rather large, and just a handful are included below “he stated
One day we will run out the cricket celebrations from roads, till then switch to CEAT SecuraDrive – engineered to provide a safer and more comfortable driving experience. #CEATtyres #SecuraDrive #SwitchToSecuraDrive pic.twitter.com/wct6lqVNop
— CEAT TYRES (@CEATtyres) September 19, 2021
“I am sure you can sense the prejudice done to Hindus since ages,” he said, adding that today’s “Anti-Hindu actors” always harm Hindu feelings while never attempting to reveal their community’s wrongdoings.
“As a result, I respectfully request that you take note of this particular incident in which your company’s advertisement has caused unrest among Hindus,” Hegde said, adding that he hopes Goenka’s organization will respect Hindu sentiment in the future and will not harm it directly or indirectly in any way.
Here is another version posted by a tweeter user:
#ShameonYouCeatTyres @CEATtyres AD NOW🤬🤬pic.twitter.com/gvQ2aAbStK
— सुधाकर सिंह राजपूत⚔ (@SudhakarSinghS2) October 21, 2021
