Diwali ad featuring Aamir Khan hurts Hindu sentiments: BJP leader

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Anantkumar Hegde has raised objections against an advertisement by tyres major Ceat Ltd featuring actor Aamir Khan.

Hedge, who applauded the ad for raising awareness against bursting crackers on the streets, sought the company to also address the "problem blocking roads in the name of Namaz and noise emitted from mosques during Azan," reports Hindustan Times.

In a letter to the company's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Anant Vardhan Goenka, the BJP MP requested him to take cognisance of the recent advertisement claiming that it created an “unrest among the Hindus”, and expressed hope that in future the organisation will respect the 'Hindu sentiment'.

"Your company's recent advertisement in which Aamir Khan advising people not to firecrackers on the streets is giving a very good message.

Your concern to 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 wrote in the letter dated October 14.

The MP from Uttara Kannada went on to claim that during the Namaz, when the roads are blocked, vehicles like ambulances and firefighter vehicles are struck in traffic causing "grave losses", and added that the “loud noise… emitted from mikes arranged on the top of mosques in our country” during Azan is “beyond the permissible limits”.

"On Fridays, it is prolonged for some more time. It is causing great inconvenience to people suffering from different ailments and taking rest, people working in different establishments and teachers teaching in classrooms," he said.

"I am sure you can feel the discrimination done to the Hindus since centuries," Hedge wrote, adding that some "anti-Hindu actors" always try to hurt the Hindu sentiments.