Karnataka: Mangaluru bus owner renames "Israel Travels" to "Jerusalem" amid social media outcry

Mangaluru bus owner renamed "Israel Travels" to "Jerusalem" amid backlash on social media, sparked by escalating Israel-Iran tensions. 

Mangaluru: A local bus owner in Mangaluru faced backlash over the name of his vehicle originally named "Israel Travels". Now, the bus has now been renamed "Jerusalem" following criticism on social media.

The bus, which operates on the Moodbidri-Kinnigoli-Kateel-Mulki route, attracted attention amidst escalating military tensions between Israel and Iran. A segment of netizens shared images of the bus and called for police action, urging them to file a First Information Report (FIR) against the owner for using the name "Israel."

In response to the growing controversy, Lester Kateel, the bus owner, decided to voluntarily change the name to "Jerusalem." Kateel has been working in Israel for the past 12 years and the bus named after Israel due to association with the country. Kateel stated, "I have no idea why people have issues with ‘Israel Travels’," emphasizing that the police had not pressured him to make the change.

Those advocating for the name change argued that if authorities can register an FIR over a WhatsApp status supporting Palestine, then the bus owner should also face consequences for naming his vehicle after Israel.