A video that went viral on social media on Thursday shows a Zomato delivery agent, identified as Arjun, being pressured by right-wing activists in Indore to remove a Santa Claus costume he was wearing while delivering food.
The incident occurred a day after Christmas and sparked controversy. Arjun could be heard saying in the video that the costume was part of a special Christmas promotion organized by Zomato, and other delivery agents were seen without the costume.
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The video shows Sumit Hardia, the district convenor of Hindu Jagaran Manch, confronting the delivery agent and asking him to remove the outfit. Hardia questioned why Arjun wasn't dressed as a religious figure such as Lord Ram during Diwali. After a brief exchange, Arjun reluctantly complied and took off the Santa Claus costume. Hardia told him to consider wearing the attire of national heroes like Bhagat Singh or Chandrashekhar Azad instead.
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Zomato confirmed that the costumes were distributed to its delivery agents as part of a Christmas promotion, and the company encouraged customers to take photos if they spotted an agent wearing the outfit. However, Zomato has not yet issued a formal response to the viral video.
Hardia, in an interview, claimed he approached Arjun after seeing him in the Santa costume in Bhanwarkuan. He argued that such promotions went against Indian culture and that Zomato should have maintained an equal and unbiased approach to all religious and cultural celebrations. Arjun, according to Hardia, expressed concern about losing his job if he removed the costume, but ultimately agreed under pressure.
Indore police have not yet received any formal complaint about the incident, and the exact location where it occurred is still unclear.