On Monday (April 24), luggage manufacturing company VIP Industries issued a clarification, after its bags were featured in a recent viral video on social media.
In a statement, it said, “VIP Industries Limited would like to clarify that a certain fake, malicious and mischievous advertisement is being circulated on various social media platforms and micro-blogging sites.”
“The creator of this advertisement has unlawfully used VIP and Skybags brand names and attempted to tarnish the image of our company and brand names,” VIP Industries informed.
Official statement pic.twitter.com/zDsbNy6n3I
— VIPBags (@VIPBagsIndia) April 24, 2023
It emphasised, “VIP Industries has not issued this advertisement and has no connection with the person who has put this advertisement.” VIP Industries further added that it has filed a complaint with the police for unauthorised use of its names and trademarks.
The Background of the Controversy
OpIndia had reported how two Malayalam actors Sumi Rashik and Vishnu K Vijayan shared a music video, normalising conversion of one’s faith from Hinduism to Islam for alleged love, on the occasion of Eid-al-Fitr. Objections were raised by netizens who felt the removal of bindi of the girl playing role of Hindu girl and making her wear a dupatta covering her head like a hijab depicted love jihad.
The contentious video depicted actress Sumi Rashik as a Hindu woman in love with Vishnu K Vijayan, who was seen wearing an Islamic cap, offering Namaz, and then removing the bindi off Rashik’s forehead.
The actress, dressed in a red and yellow typical South Indian style lehnga choli, was seen changing into a salwar kameez presented to her by Vijayan, representing her transition to the Islamic Faith.
Eid greetings! With this clip promoting love Jihad:
— Subhi Vishwakarma (@subhi_karma) April 22, 2023
In the name of Ramzan greetings this clip was shared on the internet where a Muslim man erases bindi from the forehead of a Hindu woman and asks her to wear a veil, as a symbol of conversion.
Video from Kerala.
Watch: pic.twitter.com/w9jTxVXN7T
The video received widespread criticism on social media, following which the actor deleted the video. Meanwhile, a watermark of parody page of the controversial ‘Huffington Post’, by the name of ‘Puffington Ghost,’ was shown on the edited clip.
There have been recent incidents where some women who had converted to Islam from Hinduism for alleged love were found killed. This has led to the ‘suitcase’ and ‘fridge’ reference after some girls allegedly killed by their lovers were disposed of in suitcases or stored in refrigerators before being disposed off.
While there are many interfaith couples who are happily married, there have also been reports where many times women in interfaith relationships are either tricked into one by man pretending to be a Hindu or after marriage, there is a pressure to convert to Islam. Here is a list of 153 such cases OpIndia covered in 2022.
However, several social media users mistook the uncanny edit by the parody page for a ‘real advertisement’ by Skybag. One user shared the edited video and wrote, “Love Jihad Advt by Skybag in Kerala…Really very disturbing.”
Love Jihad Advt by Skybag in Kerala… Really very disturbing…
— 𝕾𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖘𝖍 𝕽𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖉 (@someshrathore16) April 24, 2023
😡😡😡 pic.twitter.com/WCPw2ecoMS
The watermark of ‘Puffington Ghost’ can be easily seen in the video. Given that the parody page did not seek permission from VIP Industries, the latter has now filed a police complaint against it and issued a clarification into the matter.
Meanwhile, Puffington Ghost’ has deleted its page.
