Sonu Sood: With the holy month of Sawan starting on July 22, Kanwar Yatra is back in the limelight on the internet. The recent order by the Uttar Pradesh Government, which has made it compulsory for all shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display nameplates, generated heated debates on social networking sites.
Sood’s Stance on ‘Thuk Lagi Roti’
Actor Sonu Sood, symbolically reacting to it, has found himself right in the middle of this debate. His social media post with a reference to ‘Thuk Lagi Roti’ became a trolling fest, and the actor released a clarification against the controversy created.
Sood indirectly condemned the government’s decision in his original post, saying that a single focus on humanity was needed instead of such bureaucratic steps. He further commented on the sharing by saying that this was like spitting on food, which should not overshadow the essence of humanity. Many found this comparison insensitive, and their negative reactions flooded in.
No Advocacy for Spitting in Food
Sood has since clarified his stance, saying he never advocated spitting in food and believes in very strict punishment for the same. He had clarified that he was appealing to maintain humanity amidst the administrative decisions. “The time we spend in explaining to each other, we should spend on helping those in need,” said Sood. He reiterated his appreciation for the UP government’s work and expressed support to anyone in distress, irrespective of region or religion.
The controversy began when an X handle user quoted Sood’s post, shared a video of a young man spitting on the roti raked in as a challenge to his stance; therefore, his symbolic response only spoke about consuming food with ‘Shabri’s rotten berries,’ reflecting a call for compassion over criticism.
With a fortnight to go for the Kanwar Yatra, the debate on the nameplate order remains very alive. At one level, it underlines the tensions between governance and individual interpretations of humanitarian principles.
