Hyderabad: Bigg Boss 17 contestants Arun Srikanth Mashettey, Tehelka Bhai, and Samarth Jurel have been facing criticism from netizens for an alleged incident of disrespecting the national flag during a fan meet-up held at the Quli Qutub Shah Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Arun Mashettey, who hails from Hyderabad, received a warm welcome at the airport on Sunday, with hundreds of fans eager to catch a glimpse of their favourite contestant. A grand rally was organized from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport to Charminar, attracting a massive crowd of Arun’s enthusiastic Hyderabadi supporters. His two best friends Tehelka and Samarth joined him for the celebrations.
During the meet-up, the trio stood on top of a Mercedes car to address the gathered fans. However, netizens soon noticed that the national flag was painted on the bonnet of the vehicle. It is being said that some people climbed onto the car’s roof and might have stepped on the bonnet, causing unintentional disrespect to the tricolour.
In India, disrespecting the national flag is considered a legal offence, prompting furious reactions from vigilant netizens. Social media platforms buzzed with criticism, as users expressed their concerns over the alleged disrespect shown to the national emblem during the event. Many users are sharing photos and are demanding an apology from the Bigg Boss 17 trio.
Some fans defended the trio, saying they were not directly standing on the Indian flag in the picture. One user pointed out that Arun, Tehelka, and Sam were actually standing at a distance from the flag
One user wrote, “Accordin to the pic, the trio Arun, Tehelka & Sam r not standing over the India flag, they r far away. Kindly spread the right msg. But yes, it clearly shows the person in black outfit standing on the flag paint which he may not have realised. But yes, in future it shd b avoided.”
