A special edition of a popular brand of Scotch whiskey has run into trouble in Punjab due to Gurmukhi calligraphy attributed to Sheikh Baba Farid printed on its saffron colored box. After receiving complaints about the packaging, State Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday directed the authorities to investigate immediately as it would hurt religious sentiments.
“My daughter got married a few days ago and I bought a few cases of this brand of whiskey from a liquor store in Mohali. After seeing this Gurmukhi branding, I decided to write a letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Excise Minister Harpal Cheema to investigate it,’ said Sanjeevan Singh, a well-known theater artist and director from Mohali. Singh filed the complaint on Friday.
Singh’s complaint refers to a special edition of the popular brand’s Deluxe Blended Scotch Whiskey which contains some verses in Gurmukhi. The box is labeled ‘Gurmukhi Calligraphy by Tarundeep’ with verses attributed to Sheikh Baba Farid such as “Vekh Farida Mitti Khulli, Mitti Utte Mitti Dulli” and “Na Kar Bandeya Meri Meri”. The verses are printed in Gurmukhi script on all the boxes.
Sheikh Baba Farid is a revered Muslim saint whose hymns find special resonance in Sikhism and are included in the Guru Granth Sahib.
According to Singh, the verses of the box are attributed to Sheikh Baba Farid, but he believes that they are not supported by conclusive evidence. “However, the use of such verses widely attributed to the saint may hurt the sentiments of devout followers in a state like Punjab,” he said in his complaint.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Additional Commissioner of Excise and Taxation Naresh Dubey said that Cheema has ordered an immediate inquiry into the matter. “Since this is a very serious matter, we are sending a team to find out where these boxes containing liquor bottles are being sold,” he said.
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