In a viral video, a shop owner in Goa’s Calangute was seen publicly apologizing and chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. A group of people forced him to apologize after a video, in which he expressed support for the Pakistan cricket team, went viral on social media. The incident happened on Thursday.
This happened in the wake of an undated video released by a travel vlogger, in which the shop owner in North Goa’s Calangute can be seen saying that he was supporting the Pakistan cricket team as it was a Muslim area.
The neighboring country was apparently playing against New Zealand when the video was shot. It can be seen in the video that the vlogger is talking to the person for some time. The vlogger asks the shop owner, “Who’s playing? Are you cheering for New Zealand?” The man replies, “To Pakistan.” The vlogger then asks him why, to which the man replies by saying, “This is a Muslim area.”
After this video went viral, a group of people reached the owner of the shop on Thursday and questioned him about supporting Pakistan.
A video of the group forcing the shop owner to apologize also went viral on social media. The video shows a member of the group telling the man, “This is the entire village of Calangute. There is no Muslim lane or any other street here. Don’t divide the country on the basis of religion.”
He is then asked to kneel down and apologize to the countrymen. After initial reluctance, the shop owner can be seen in the video apologizing by kneeling down and holding his ear.
The video also shows the group chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. When contacted, a local police officer said that no complaint has been registered in connection with the incident.
(with PTI inputs)