Gujarat Police Deny Mob Attack on Tanishq Showroom in Gandhidham

Kutch SP told The Quint that police protection at the showroom was provided on 13 Oct over threatening phone calls.

Gujarat police has denied reports of a mob barging into the Tanishq showroom in Gandhidham town of Kutch. The Superintendent of Police, Kutch, however, told The Quint that police protection at the showroom was provided over threatening phone calls.

“Report of attack, rioting and ransacking are fake and nothing of that sort had happened. Tanishq India had issued an apology, that apology was received by people from local community who wanted that apology to be printed in Gujarati. That was done by store owner and people left quietly but the threat calls did not stop. They were coming from all over India and whichever shop number people could get hold of, they were calling. Regarding that, on 13 October, in the evening or at night around 9 pm, we were informed, and we provided them bandobast.”

Mayur Patil, SP, Kutch

Meanwhile, NDTV and The Indian Express reported that people gathered outside the Tanishq showroom on Monday, 12 October, demanding an apology over the company’s recent advertisement that evoked massive backlash.

The Indian Express reported that a handwritten poster in Gujarati, which had 12 October written at the top was put up outside the showroom that reportedly read:

“Aje mediama chali rahel Tanishq ni ad sharamjank hoi Gandhidham Tanishq Samagra Kutch Jilla Hindu Samaj ni maafi mange chhe (The ad campaigned of Tanishq going on in media today is shameful and Gandhidham Tanishq apologises to Samagra Kutch Jilla Hindu Samaj (all Kutch district Hindu society)).” 

The publication also quoted an anonymous employee of the store, whose statement contradicted the police’s claims and alleged that around 120 people gathered outside the showroom and six or seven people barged into the store and abused the staff. The ‘mob’ reportedly said that they were Hindus and wouldn’t tolerate such advertisements.

The employee who requested anonymity further told The Indian Express, “We told them that we, too, are Hindus. But they didn’t listen to us. Some of them pasted a poster on the door of our showroom, clicked selfies by posing in front of that poster and then they dispersed.”

Rahul Manuja, the manager of Tanishq store in Gandhidham, however, told ANI that the store wasn’t attacked. “The store has not been attacked. However, I received some threat calls. The police have supported us.”

Tanishq was forced to withdraw a recent advertisement that depicts inter-faith harmony. The brand ended up being trolled on social media for allegedly “promoting love Jihad” over its advertisement.