In a video that is making rounds on social media, Indian pacers Mohammad Siraj and Umran Malik were seen refusing to wear a Tilak on their forehead. The video is from a hotel in Nagpur where team India will lock horns with Australia in the first test of the Border – Gavaskar Trophy.
Think twice before making them your idol. Siraj and Umran Malik. Don't respect those who do not respect your culture. pic.twitter.com/WiWsvPYAuo
— Hindu Voice (@HinduVoice_in) February 3, 2023
The video shows the hotel staff welcoming the players to the lobby with an age-old Indian custom, tilak. Several members of the Indian team and the support staff are seen accepting this mark of welcome, while a few gently refuse the staff members.
When people sympathize with Siraj and Umran after they're being targetted by Religious fanatics and then aren't willing to criticize those who promote such religious fanaticism then they are just doing lip service and in a way promoting the low lives who target players like this.
— Akash (@Akashkumarjha14) February 4, 2023
I admire Siraj and Umran but them along with Vikram Rathour denied to put Tikka as token of respect
And then we've Lionel Messi who wore Arabic Robe which isn't part of his culture. This is what makes this man GREAT 🐐 pic.twitter.com/stv0M7M74N— feryy (@ffspari) February 3, 2023
Its funny how people who have achieved nothing in their life and have done nothing for SANATANA DHARAMA despite just forwarding Fake Messages are questioning UMRAN and SIRAJ who represents this Our Country's National Team. pic.twitter.com/TNEs7RxHdX
— Vaibhav🇮🇳🚩🚩 (@vaibhav06032005) February 4, 2023
A part of that video, which is going viral on the internet, shows that the two ‘Muslim’ players refused to take part in a Hindu custom. The issue had several people talking about it on social media, many of whom were left displeased with this act.
A few Twitter users even asked the other players to stop catering to the ‘secular’ idea or celebrating Muslim festivals, as a result of this act.
मोहम्मद सिराज और उमरान मलिक ने स्वागत में माथे पर टीका नहीं लगवाया। वह पाकिस्तान नही हिंदुस्थानी टीम के खिलाडी हैं। अंतरराष्ट्रीय क्रिकेटर बनने के बाद भी वह अपने धर्म के प्रति कट्टर हैं। #Jago
pic.twitter.com/1sYHVlTJl1— Suresh Chavhanke “Sudarshan News” (@SureshChavhanke) February 3, 2023
A tweet by Suresh Chavanke, a right-wing journalist, gained maximum traction. He shared the video and wrote that the players haven’t let go of their religious extremism even after playing the game at the international level. The video shared by Chavanke in his tweet got over 1.6 million views, and several thousand upvotes.
However, a few people called out Chavanke on this issue. They stated that Siraj and Malik were not the only team members who refused to put a tilak on their foreheads. Co-founder of a fake news-busting website, Mohammad Zubair replied to the tweet by stating that Vikram Rathour and Hari Prasad Mohan also did kindly refuse the traditional form of welcome.
