Lawrence Bishnoi T-Shirts Up For Sale On Flipkart, Meesho Cause Outrage: 'India's Online Radicalisation' - News18

Bengaluru-based e-commerce companies Flipkart and Meesho are under fire for selling T-shirts featuring images of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. While the sale of gangster-themed merchandise itself is alarming, concerns are heightened by the fact that these items are available for children as well. Journalist Alishan Jafri, who brought this issue to light, described it as a worrying example of “India’s online radicalisation".

Read| ‘Studio-Like Facility, Glorification Of Crime’: HC Pans Punjab For Lawrence Bishnoi Jail Interview

“People are literally selling gangster merchandise on platforms like Meesho and Teeshopper. This is just one example of India’s latest online radicalisation," wrot Jafri on X (formerly known as Twitter) as he shared a screenshot of the T-shirts being sold on Meesho, an online platform that connects suppliers, resellers and customers and heavily relies on social media platforms for business.

He added, “At a time when the police and NIA are struggling to stop youths from joining gang crime, social media influencers are making quick money by promoting gang content and glorifying gangsters."

The screenshot shared by Jafri shows white T-shirts with Lawrence Bishnoi’s picture and, in some cases, the words “Gangster" and “Real Hero" printed boldly across the front. These T-shirts are up for sale for as low as Rs 168.

People are literally selling gangster merchandise on platforms like @Meesho_Official and Teeshopper. This is just one example of India's latest online radicalisation. Thread1/n pic.twitter.com/vzjXM360q3— Alishan Jafri (@alishan_jafri) November 4, 2024

After the backlash on social media, Meesho took down the T-shirts featuring gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. While writing this report in the morning, we were able to access the gangster-themed T-shirts for both adults and kids. However, those products are no longer available for sale on the platform.

“We have taken immediate action to deactivate the products. Meesho remains committed to providing a safe and trusted shopping platform for all our users," Meesho spokesperson told News18.com.

When we searched for the gangster-themed merchandise on famous e-commerce platforms such as Flipkart and Amazon, we found that Flipkart has listed it. The T-shirts on Flipkart are being sold for Rs 249 after 64 per cent discount. The two designs feature an identical image of the gangster wearing an orange T-shirt and black hoodie, with the words “The Gangster" on one design and “Real Hero" on the other.

“Shame on Meesho and similar websites. Shame!" wrote an individual.

Another pointed out, “And a kid also wearing his T-shirt. So wrong."

“Meesho should be de-platformed," expressed a third.

Lawrence Bishnoi is a gangster, whom the court noted is involved in 71 criminal cases in Punjab alone, including four under anti-terror law UAPA. He is also a suspect in the murder of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala. Bishnoi is in jail since 2015. His gang has claimed responsibility for the murder of Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique. Lawrence Bishnoi gang has also issued death threats to actor Salman Khan and spiritual orator Abhinav Arora.