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Celebrity hair stylist Jawed Habib booked for insulting Hindu gods
A newspaper advertisement showed Hindu gods Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya getting their hair fixed, applying makeup, and counting money with Durga looking over them in a Jawed Habib salon.
Hyderabad Police registered a case on Friday against celebrity hair stylist Jawed Habib for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus through an advertisement in West Bengal a few days ago depicting Hindu gods and goddesses in “a derogatory way”.
Acting on a complaint lodged by city-based advocate M Karuna Sagar, the police registered the case under Section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code against Habib.
“We will investigate into the matter and, if need be, we shall summon Habib for questioning,” Saidabad police inspector K Sattaiah said.
The newspaper advertisement showed Lakshmi and Saraswati and Ganesha and Kartikeya getting their hair fixed, applying makeup, and counting money with Durga looking over them in a Jawed Habib salon along with the tag, “Gods too visit JH salon.”
Sagar said similar complaints have been made to the police in different parts of the country but the first case was registered in Hyderabad. He demanded the hair stylist to be immediately arrested and prosecuted as the ad hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus.
Habib apologised on Twitter on September 5 after he was trolled on social media. “If our ad campaign had inadvertently hurt anyone’s sentiments, we apologise for that,” he said.
His company’s spokesperson also clarified the advertisement, which appeared in West Bengal ahead of Durga Puja, was issued by local people without Habib’s approval and his corporate office in Mumbai.
The spokesperson said the ads would be withdrawn immediately.
