An Australian tourist was harassed and threatened by a mob in Bengaluru for sporting a tattoo of a goddess on his shin.
Matthew Keith and his girlfriend, Emily, were confronted by a group of locals at a restaurant, who threatned to skin his leg.
“One of them came to me and confronted me about my tattoo,” he told The Hindu.
The couple were then taken to the Ashok Nagar police station, where Keith was forced to write a letter of apology after the policemen gave them a lecture on Hindu values.
Keith took to Facebook to discuss the incident by posting a photo of the apology letter, and in a accompanying post, urged everyone to stand up against such crimes.
His apology letter reads:
My name is Matthew, visiting from Melbourne, Australia. I am very sorry for offending Hindu religious beliefs by my tattoo. I did not know of this auspicious custom in regard to tattoo placement. I will make sure to cover it up whilst I am in India. Thank you, for educating me on what is appropriate in regard to body art on my body. I am also extremely sorry for using inappropriate language.
Emily also wrote about the incident on Facebook.
Matt and I found ourselves sitting in Ashoknagar Police station accused of intentionally spreading hatred. We repeatedly asked to leave, but were detained, although we were told we had not violated any criminal law.
— Emily
She also wrote about a horrific incident that took place earlier:
Two weeks ago, I was groped and sexually assaulted at a concert. After being aggressively fondled, I thought to myself surely this is my Indian horror story. At every turn it seems that I find myself on the back foot of Indian society. When I leave the house, I have to prepare myself for what is potentially lurking outside.
— Emily
(The video was taken from The Hindu’s Youtube channel)
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