Fact check: Did SRK really ‘spit’ on Lata Mangeshkar’s mortal remains?
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) accused the BJP of trying to communalise the event, saying Yadav was speaking not out of “peak stupidity” but “peak evil”
Shah Rukh Khan made a rare public appearance on Sunday and said a prayer to pay his respects at Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar's funeral. His mode of prayer created an agitated controversy as Arun Yadav, state in-charge of BJP Haryana's information technology department, shared a clip of Shah Rukh from the funeral on Twitter and wrote, "Did he spit?"
Another BJP leader, Prashant Umrao, the party's spokesperson for Uttar Pradesh, reportedly tweeted the same allegation.
Fan's rushed to Khan's defence at the hike of questions being raised against him, clarifying what the gesture - blowing air - denoted.
A few of them also shared a clip from the movie "My Name Is Khan", where Khan plays a Muslim man with Kajol as his Hindu wife. While Kajol does her morning arti and showers blessings upon her son, Khan completes his morning namaz and blows air over the young boy to give him his blessings. The blowing of air after saying a prayer is a gesture followed by several Muslims as a pious practice.
Netizens slammed Yadav, in response to his tweet, for having such little knowledge of Islamic customs.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) accused the BJP of trying to communalise the event, saying Yadav was speaking not out of "peak stupidity" but "peak evil".
The actor had arrived at the state-sponsored funeral much in advance and was seen patiently waiting to pay his last respects to the singing legend.
Khan offered a prayer for Lata Mangeshkar as per his religion before he removed his mask and made a facial gesture to ward off evil, which several scarcely informed netizens deemed as "spitting".
Paying his last respects, Khan placed a wreath. He also touched Lata Mangeshkar's feet and circumambulated her mortal remains.
The unforgettable Lata Mangeshkar passed away after nearly a month of hospitalization.
She was diagnosed with Covid-19 and pneumonia, and was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in January this year.
The 92-year-old singer passed away on 6 February due to multi-organ failure.
