At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic continues to strangulate humans from going about their normal day-to-day activities, celebrities and influential personalities should be leading the charge and urging people to abide by the all-important social distancing norms. While many are of course rising to the occasion and using their mass fan following to educate the public constructively about the do’s and don’ts at this point in time, the others simply couldn’t care less.
Gautam Rode is a well-known TV actor, who has worked in daily soaps like Suryaputra Karna (lead role), Aksar, Saraswatichandra, among others. He is married to Pankhuri Awasthi who worked in shows like Razia Sultan, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, and others.
Gautam Rode yesterday posted pictures on Twitter with Ramzan wishes where he and his wife are seen paying obeisance at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, which, in the pictures, looks as crowded as any other normal day. On first look, the viewer will naturally form the opinion that lockdown guidelines are not being followed even minutely in and around the Ajmer Sharif Dargah.
#RamadanMubarak friends ❤️😇 @Panawasthy_31 #AjmerSharif dargah 😊😇 pic.twitter.com/asJUWhp6JO
— Gautam Rode (@gautam_rode) April 24, 2020
Further, the two are seen wearing masks (or rather pretending to), which will only make people coming across the pictures assume that the shrine is being thronged by devotees at a time when the nation is under lockdown to arrest the spread of Coronavirus.
Kaam ke na kaaz kr dushman samaaj ke😠
— . (@factk45) April 24, 2020
@PMOIndia @HMOIndia sir lockdown ??? Ya fir special logo ko lockdown todne ki permission hai 🙄🙄
— DimpleGarg (@PakhiKiMumma) April 24, 2020
Following widespread criticism for his irresponsible tweet, Gautam Rode issued a heroic clarification, saying with a sense of pride that the pictures were taken much before the national lockdown kicked in, and when there was still freedom for people to move around. “Boss poorani Picture hain…lockdown se bahut pehle ki… jab kahin bhi jaane ki koi pabandi nahi thi..Please know the facts before you unnecessary comment on someone’s picture,” he said.
Boss poorani Picture hain .. lockdown se bahut pehle ki .. jab kahin bhi jaane ki koi pabandi nahi thi .. Please know the facts before you unnecessary comment on someone’s picture.
— Gautam Rode (@gautam_rode) April 24, 2020
While the actor did not miss the opportunity to almost scold gullible twitter users for having their doubts after seeing the pictures, what he gave a clear miss to was his carelessness, at a time when people like him should be spreading awareness instead of posting conflicting pictures only to appease a few. Was it necessary to post these pictures at all, at a time when the nation is under lockdown and everyone is staying put within the confines of their homes? Further, could the actor not do so much as to state in the original tweet that the pictures were taken in the month of March, prior to the nationwide lockdown? For all we care, he could post pictures from within his home instead of confusing people on social media with the pictures of Ajmer Sharif.
While the motivation to prove one’s liberal convictions can at times take the better part of anyone, one must not forget that keeping people indoors is the need of the hour. Gautam Rode, with roughly 1.7 million followers on Twitter, could have instead urged people to maintain social distancing and stay indoors, rather than posting several pictures of him and his wife at an overcrowded, and almost festively lit dargah.
