Mumbai: Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been the centre of controversy following the release of a recent advertisement.
In the commercial, the actor is seen dressed as a Maharashtra police officer, encouraging people to play poker on the app. This portrayal, as per the latest reports, has led a Hindu organisation to claim that it tarnishes the reputation of the Maharashtra Police by associating law enforcement with gambling, a serious allegation that could have far-reaching consequences.
The Hindu Janjagruti Samiti has sent a letter to the Mumbai Police Commissioner and the Maharashtra Director General of Police, urging them to take action against Siddiqui and Ankur Singh, the owner of Big Cash Poker. In a formal complaint, Abhishek Murukate, the Maharashtra state coordinator for the organisation’s social welfare campaign, Surajya Abhiyan, raised the issue in a letter to the Mumbai Police Commissioner and the Maharashtra Director General of Police.
The letter unequivocally demands stringent action against both Siddiqui and Singh under the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules of 1979 and the Maharashtra Police Act of 1951, underscoring the seriousness of the issue.
The letter states, “This is alarming because the same police department files cases against such people and arrests gamblers. The Hindu Janjagruti Samiti’s ‘Surajya Abhiyan’ strongly condemns this, as it tarnishes the image of the Maharashtra Police. Ignoring this could lead to more illegal and unethical advertisements using police uniforms.”
Furthermore, the letter states, “The Maharashtra police are trained through hard work, but this advertisement attempts to suggest that online gambling gives them skills. It is disappointing that no police officer has been compelled to take action against this application and it is unfortunate that complaints have to be made by others. We also wish that Maharashtra’s home minister also takes cognisance of the matter,” the letter adds.
The Hindu organisation emphasised that the advertisement is “harmful and disrespectful to law enforcement.” The Hindu Janjagruti Samiti has also urged Maharashtra’s Home Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, to take action on this issue.
Nawazuddin has yet to release a statement regarding the matter.
–IANS
