In a bizarre instance, a group of right-wing members threatened a restaurant manager over the use of saffron-colored napkins in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore.
The group members, reportedly from the Kshatriya Karni Sena outfit, alleged that using saffron napkins in a place where non-vegetarian food is served is “disrespectful to the Hindu religion and hurts the sentiments of Hindus”.
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday, March 1, However, a video of the confrontation surfaced on Friday, March 7, across social media platforms.
In the video clip, the right-wing members, including district president Ankit Tomar, are seen seated inside the restaurant, calling its manager from their table in the busy dining area and demanding an explanation about the presence of saffron napkins.
The Karni Sena members are heard aggressively questioning the manager, asking, “What is this?” to which the manager replies, “These are napkins, sir”. One of the men then asks, “Han toh bagwa rang ka kyu hai, itni baat samaj mai nahi ati. (Yes, then why is it saffron in colour? Why don’t you understand these things?)”
The situation escalated when Tomar accused the restaurant of deliberately targeting Hinduism, stating, “People come here and eat non-vegetarian food then use these saffron tissue papers to wipe their hands, which is an affront to Hindu beliefs”.
Tomar then issued a warning to the restaurant manager, stating, “We will come again to check. If we find these saffron napkins here again, I will call the DSP and SP, who will then solve the matter legally.”
