Meesho Lawrence Bishnoi T-Shirt Controversy: The name of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi is currently making headlines, especially after his alleged involvement in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. Bishnoi has also made headlines for issuing threats to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. Now, a new controversy surrounding him has surfaced, and it might surprise you.
The popular e-commerce platform Meesho has come under fire after it was discovered that they were selling T-shirts featuring Lawrence Bishnoi’s image. The backlash was swift and widespread, with social media users expressing outrage. As a result of the intense criticism, Meesho quickly took down the T-shirt listings from their platform.
How the Issue Came to Light
The issue was first raised by filmmaker Alishan Jafri, who shared images of the T-shirts on his X (formerly Twitter) handle. He wrote that this was the “latest online extremism in India,” referring to the disturbing trend of selling T-shirts featuring the image of a gangster. He further emphasized how dangerous it was to sell such products online, especially T-shirts with a gangster’s image, which were being marketed to children.
People are literally selling gangster merchandise on platforms like @Meesho_Official and Teeshopper. This is just one example of India’s latest online radicalisation.
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1/n pic.twitter.com/vzjXM360q3
— Alishan Jafri (@alishan_jafri) November 4, 2024
As soon as news broke that Meesho was selling these T-shirts, people were quick to express their anger. The public expressed their disgust, saying it was shameful to sell gangster-themed merchandise, particularly to children. One user commented, “Gangster culture will ruin India,” while another pointed out that these T-shirts were being sold at very affordable prices, making them easily accessible.
Gangster Culture in the Spotlight
The rise of Lawrence Bishnoi and his criminal syndicate has become so well-known that even online influencers and shopping trends are now reflecting this reality. This incident shed light on the growing normalization of gangster culture, and many saw it as a dangerous trend. The situation was serious enough for Meesho to take immediate action and remove the product from its platform.
Just hours earlier, users could search for “Lawrence Bishnoi” on Meesho and find T-shirts with his image and the word “gangster” written on them. However, after the backlash, these products were taken down, and they are no longer available on the platform.
This controversy highlights the fine line between marketing trends and the cultural impact of promoting criminal figures, especially when such products are targeted at children and young audiences.
