Virat Kohli asks fans to refrain from bursting crackers on Diwali. Netizens expose his hypocrisy

Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Diwali took to donning the preacher’s hat, asking all those celebrating the festival of lights to refrain from using firecrackers, in a neo-modern bid to allegedly help save the environment. Come every Diwali, seasonal environmental activists are seen crawling out of their dens in order to guilt-trip Hindus and other Indic communities for celebrating a festival which has in their minds become the sole reason for all global climatic catastrophes. While the firecracker industry of India was in any case put under extreme duress this festive season by the NGT and multiple foolish state governments owing to the imposition of bans and refrains on bursting of crackers, influencers like Kohli taking to social media only added to the woes of small traders, and jubilant Indians in general.

“A very happy Diwali from me to you and your families. May God bless you with peace, prosperity and happiness this Diwali. Please remember do not burst crackers, protect the environment, and have fun at home with your loved ones with a simple diya and sweets on this auspicious occasion. God bless you all, take care,” Kohli was heard saying in his video message. Having had just about enough of celebrities telling common Indians how to celebrate their festivals, what was witnessed on Diwali across the country was no less than a civil disobedience movement, as almost everyone took to celebrating the festival in all its grandeur, with firecrackers.

Social media users pointed out how Virat Kohli only earlier this month had been a first-hand witness to a firework display in Dubai, organised solely for the purpose of celebrating the Indian cricket team captain’s birthday. Kohli was accompanied by his wife Anushka Sharma for the celebrations. In the video, shared by RCB’s official handle, crackers can be seen being burst in the background right before Kohli and Anushka cut cake together. The video has been widely shared on Twitter with fans terming Kohli a ‘hypocrite’ for not practising what he has been preaching.

Even while Virat Kohli stood in Dubai as a mute spectator, and even an active participant in the firework display organised on his birthday, the Indian skipper having the temerity to tell Indians how to celebrate their one-day festival did not go down well with a sea of people. Meanwhile, in fragrant disobedience to his own captain’s ‘request’, Indian all-rounder Shivam Dube, who also plays for RCB posted pictures of himself on Diwali, celebrating the night with firecrackers. This was sufficient content for netizens to once again take Kohli to the cleaners.

Virat Kohli has successfully joined the elite league of Priyanka Chopra and other celebrities, who time and again have themselves worked overtime to be exposed as hypocrites due to their stand on firecrackers and their usage during Diwali. The experiences of such ‘influencers’ should serve as a reminder to others that they should stick to their professional obligations alone, and not unnecessarily tangle themselves in areas where their nose has no business being in.