Video: Haldiram trends after journalist heckles store manager over 'Urdu' text

A video showing a woman TV news reporter heckling an employee of a Haldiram store over the text, which she claimed is written in “Urdu”, on a food packet is going viral on social media. While the reporter from controversial Sudarshan News TV is seen engaging in a verbal altercation with a woman employee at the Haldiram’s outlet, claiming the company wants to hide "something" and promote "something", many on social media criticised the journalist and hailed the store manager for not bowing down and confronting her.

The store manager is heard saying, "You can do whatever ma'am, Haldiram's will not entertain such tantrums" -- when the reporter thrusts a microphone into her face saying an Urdu script is "betraying Hindus who fast during Navratri".

The Indian Youth Congress also took to Twitter to slam the reporter. "The Sudarshan News reporter spreading hateful poison in front of police, police remained mute spectator..." it wrote in Hindi while sharing the video.

The incident comes even as the nation witnesses ever-increasing incidences of discourse on objections to halal meat, the hijab and the Azaan.

While some users on social media suggested Haldiram to give the store manager a raise for standing up to the reporter, many claimed that the writing on the packet is Arabic and is there because it is exported to the Middle East.

The Supreme Court of India has expressed severe disapproval over Islamophobic content on Sudarshan TV, a far-right broadcaster, in the past, but the government has allowed it to air programmes on subjects like a "conspiracy to infiltrate Muslims in government service".

"The Sudarshan TV show on the infiltration of Muslims in Civil Services is insidious and rabid since it tends to target one particular community," Supreme Court judge Justice DY Chandrachud had said during the legal face-off over the channel's hatemongering two years ago.

"I saw one of the episodes and it was hurtful to watch. Many pictorials are offensive and need to be taken off," Justice Indu Malhotra had said.

Last year, Fabindia's Diwali ad made headlines after a row erupted over the Urdu phrase Jashn-e-Riwaaz was used in it. The brand was accused of 'defacing' the Hindu festival of Diwali by naming its festive collection Jashn-e-Riwaaz.