A day after the animal rights organisation, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal) removed hoardings in Lucknow after Maulanas said anti-goat slaughter hoardings ‘hurt their religious sentiments’, PETA had claimed that they did not agree to removal of hoardings.
PETA India's billboard is up in Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai & we look forward to it being put up again in Lucknow. PETA India has not agreed on the billboard removal, as there's nothing offensive about kindness. pic.twitter.com/OPtHhsSvFs
— PETA India (@PetaIndia) July 6, 2020
“PETA India’s billboard is up in Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai & we look forward to it being put up again in Lucknow. PETA India has not agreed on the billboard removal, as there’s nothing offensive about kindness,” it tweeted along with the image featuring the goat which offended the Maulanas. In its tweet, PETA did not specify why exactly the hoarding was removed in Lucknow and on whose instructions.
OpIndia reached out to Qaisarbagh Police station where the SHO confirmed that contrary to its claims, PETA has removed the hoardings itself. PETA had claimed that they are not in favour of removal of hoarding, leaving it open to interpretation.
PETA ‘Turn Vegan’ hoarding controversy
Last week, ahead of Bakri Eid which will be celebrated later this month, PETA had put up a hoarding in various parts of Lucknow which displayed a huge picture of a goat and read – “Mai Jeev Hoon, Maans Nahi. Hamare Prati Nazariya Badlen, Vegan Bane” (I am a living being and not just meat. Change your view towards us and become a vegan).
However, Islamic clerics opposed the same as it ‘hurt their religious sentiments’. Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali, President of the Islamic Centre of India, had even complained to the Lucknow Police Commissioner demanding the removal of PETA’s hoarding. The Maulana objected to the hoarding which placed a photo of the goat before the festival of Bakri Eid.
“Why such hoarding is being put up just ahead of the festival? It seems that these hoardings were deliberately put up in a mischievous attempt to hurt Muslim sentiments,” the maulana objected.
Qaiserbagh Police also reportedly got two complaints demanding the removal of the hoarding.
Later, PETA removed the hoardings in Lucknow.
OpIndia has reached out to PETA and they have said they will write back to us soon. We shall update the report once we hear back from them.
