By Hasan Zia Rizvi, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: Aam Aadmi party member Dr Kumar Vishwas faces flak from the Shia community as an old video of his surfaces where he is found mocking the ‘mourning’ ritual of the tragedy of Karbala.
Although Dr Vishwas got the 35 second video removed from the YouTube on copyright issue, the video has since gone viral with people sharing it on social media and through other mobile applications.
Dr Vishwas has since issued a video statement alleging that the video has been edited from a longer programme to present him in bad light, adding that he respects all faith. He accused some vested interest of trying to defame him since he has taken to activism and joined hands with Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal.
Majority of the Shia community have denounced the mockery by the poet and acadmecian turned politician by launching 23 FIRs all over India. 8 cases have already been filed in Lucknow, 4 in Chennai, 3 in Bhavnagar, 2 in Andheri (Mumbai), 1 in Dongri (Mumbai), 1 in BKC (Mumbai), 2 in Hyderabad, 1 in Aurangabad, 1 in Talaza, Gujarat.
The link to original clip of the video on YouTube has been suspended, “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Vishvas Kumar Sharma,” it reads.
The members of Khoja and Dawoodi Bohra community as well as others from Muslim community are reproachful towards punishing him.
In one of his video apology Kumar Vishwas said, “These are the malicious works of the political parties who are extracting these kinds of clips and making it out of text which will hurt anybody’s sentiments”.
Several civil society members and other organisations have demanded that if indeed what Kumar Vishwas is saying is right, he should made public the full video as clarification. They, however, urged the people to maintain calm and not play into the hands of communal forces.