Indore: Zomato delivery man forced to remove Santa Claus attire, asked 'why no Ram's costume on Diwali?'

A food delivery agent on his way to complete an order in Madhya Pradesh's Indore was made to remove his Santa Claus costume by a member of a group called 'Hindu Jagran Manch' on Christmas. The Zomato delivery man, dressed as Santa Claus, was seen sitting on his bike and being questioned about his outfit in a video of the encounter.

"Do you ever go to people's homes dressed as Lord Ram?" The delivery agent was asked by a guy. "No, but now the company has asked me to wear this costume," was the delivery agent's response. After that, the delivery worker was forced to take off the outfit.

Sumit Hardia, the district convenor for the Hindu group, questioned the necessity of requiring delivery workers to dress as Santa Claus and contended that the deliveries were being made in a community with a majority of Hindus. He further questioned why only non-Hindu celebrations saw similar incidents.

"Both Indore and India are Hindu majority, so why are delivery agents given entry into homes wearing such costumes? Have they ever worn saffron costumes on Hindu festivals like Hanuman Jayanti, Ram Navami and Diwali?" Sumit Hardia said when asked about the incident.

Talking about Santa Claus costumes, Hardia said that such "temptations" are often used for religious conversion. The Hindu group leader also questioned the mindsets of owners of food delivery companies, asking what is their intention behind making agents wear such costumes. 

The incident comes on a day when the country is celebrating Christmas. December 25 marks the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity. Jesus Christ was born in the city of Bethlehem and is known for his teachings of love and humanity.

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• Indore
• Santa Claus