The Rajasthan based Amrapali Jewels is drawing severe flak on the social media websites for roping in ultra-leftist and controversial actor Swara Bhasker as its brand ambassador.
The official Twitter account of Amrapali Jewels yesterday posted a tweet with a picture of actor Swara Bhasker donning the brand’s jewellery and other accessories. “Celebrating the festivities with love, light and happiness, Swara Bhaskar shines bright in our chandbalis, bangles and maangtikka,” the tweet said.
Celebrating the festivities with love, light and happiness, Swara Bhaskar shines bright in our chandbalis, bangles and maangtikka.@ReallySwara#AmrapaliJewels #SwaraBhaskar #Diwali2020 #Maangtikka #Chandbali #FineJewellery #FestiveJewellery #Handcrafted pic.twitter.com/0HICWtRZiU
— Amrapali Jewels (@amrapalijewels) November 26, 2020
However, the tweet showcasing Swara as the brand’s ambassador raised the hackles of the brand loyalists, who quickly took to Twitter to denounce the brand for enlisting a highly controversial and polarising figure to market its product. Before long, a raft of Twitter users joined in to demand a boycott of the jewellery brand for associating itself with Swara Bhasker.
Social media users call for a boycott of Amrapali Jewels
One of the aggrieved Twitter user claimed that he had bought 6 items worth lakhs for his wife but he will not be making any further purchases from the brand. The user contended that he is going to block the Amrapali Jewel on Twitter as well as its owners on his Whatsapp.
Till now I have brought 6 items from you worth .. lakhs for my wife
— HB (@HyderabadiBlues) November 26, 2020
You have lost me from today
And I am blocking you and your owners also on what’s app too
Bye
Another user said that she had never heard of the brand before but since they have roped in Swara Bhasker, she will never be making any purchases from the brand and will advise the same to her followers.
Never heard of this brand, will never buy and will certainly tell my followers on all social media – 3000+ to NOT buy, boycott it and spread the word.
— Mrs AD ✏️ (@AshaDwarakanath) November 26, 2020
Guess this brand does not cater to Nationalists.
Yet another Twitter accused Swara Bhasker of inciting Delhi riots and called for the boycott of the Amrapali Jewels.
She is one who was incited Delhi Roits . Boycott Amrapali jewels .👎👎👎
— Amit (@Amit86483064) November 26, 2020
A social media user, offended by Swara Bhasker being hired to promote the brand, vowed to ensure that no one in his family gives business to Amrapali Jewels.
I’ll make sure no one in my family will give business to you.
— (☞ ಠ_ಠ)☞ LaLit (@CallMeWadu) November 26, 2020
One of the Twitter users was particularly acerbic in criticising the association between Swara Bhasker and Amrapali Jewel. The social media user tweeted, “All crooks are helping each other” while sharing a snapshot of a report about Income Tax raids carried out at several premises of the Amrapali Jewels.
All crooks are helping each other. 😁 pic.twitter.com/pDfh2wuaXL
— Bharatheeya, ಕನ್Adiga🇮🇳🙏 (@ontidvani) November 27, 2020
Interestingly, the Amrapali Jewels is owned by Rajasthan Congress leader Rajiv Arora. In July 2020, the tax sleuths conducted raids at several premises of the Amrapali Jewels in connection with a tax evasion case. About Rs 12 crore cash and jewellery worth Rs 1.5 crore were seized after the searches. The tax sleuths had alleged that a substantial part of the silver jewellery business was carried out outside the regular books of accounts.
Swara Bhasker’s past antics draws the ire of social media users
Bhasker has been at the receiving end of the online criticism for her past antecedents where she was seen taking controversial stands on a variety of issues. Bhasker earned the title of ‘anti-Hindu’ for her selective outrage when she was seen holding a placard highlighting an allegation of the rape taking place in a ‘devi’-sthaan temple (with the term Devi written in single quotes). Her act triggered a controversy for the selectivity it exhibited and for maligning the entire religion for the act committed by a few. It was also alleged that Bhasker did not take a similar stance in such cases at worship places of other religions.
More recently, Bhasker was also seen standing with the alleged masterminds of the horrific anti-Hindu riots that swept the national capital earlier in February 2020. Bhasker has been fervidly campaigning for the release of one of the masterminds of the Delhi riots, Umar Khalid, who had been described in the charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police as ‘veteran of sedition’ who devised a plan to split India in 2020 on the concept of Ummah, thereby annihilating all its secular, national and cultural identities.
More recently, Swara Bhasker was also accused of whitewashing the Islamist violence and vandalism when she commented: “cheap photoshop”, on a tweet with pictures of the Islamists attacking Amar Jawan Memorial during the Azad Maidan riots in Mumbai.
Update: After widespread outrage, Amrapali has now deleted its tweet where it plugged Swara Bhaskar as its brand ambassador, though the brand has offered no explanation yet or released any statement regarding the deletion of their tweet.
