Operation Sindoor launched by India after the Pahalgam attack was commented on by many Pakistani influential people. One of them was Alishba Khalid. The same Alishba was invited by Malabar Gold and Diamonds as a brand promoter in the inauguration of its new London showroom. This sparked online outrage against the brand. According to reports, this issue is gaining momentum before Dhanteras. Dhanteras, which falls before Diwali, is considered the beginning of the festive season and is the day when people buy gold and silver jewelery in large numbers. As a result, demands for an online boycott of this Kerala-based jewelery brand have started rising.
Why did public anger flare up against the brand?
Public anger against the brand erupted in September when it was revealed that Malabar Gold & Diamonds had invited Pakistani Instagram influencer Alishba Khalid, known for mocking India’s Operation Sindoor, to the inauguration of the company’s London showroom. Last month, Malabar Gold and Diamonds had approached the Bombay High Court after facing online criticism over its association with Alishba Khalid. The court then directed Meta, X, Google and other platforms to remove the content, which the brand claimed was objectionable and damaging to its reputation. The jewelery brand told the court that it was being portrayed as “pro-Pakistan”. The controversy, which started in September, is now escalating just ahead of Dhanteras, the festival that sees the highest turnover in gold and silver shops in India.
Kareena Kapoor is the brand ambassador
In a now-deleted reel of the London showroom inauguration ceremony, the Pakistani influencer was seen posing for pictures with the brand’s ambassador, Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor. Alishba Khalid had criticized India regarding Operation Sindoor. Now, Alishba Khalid has also removed her posts in May in which she criticized Pakistan and the Indian Army’s action against terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
What is the connection with the Pakistani influencer who made fun of Operation Sindoor?
At the time, she wrote on Instagram, “I know 60% of my followers are from India, but honestly, it doesn’t matter to me anymore. I don’t care about them. I care about my country, my people, and standing on the right side of history.” Khalid ignored the fact that the purpose of Operation Sindoor was to target only terrorists. The place which he had described as a mosque was actually the base of Jaish-e-Mohammed. Where terrorist Hafiz Saeed
Used to incite people to wage jihad against India.
This person from Kerala is the owner of Malabar Gold
Malabar Gold and Diamonds, owned by Kerala billionaire M. Ahmed, claims to have hired Khalid through British agency JAB Studios in May before his controversial comments came to light. Malabar says it had no knowledge of his anti-India views and has since severed ties. However, after seeing the recent collaboration during its London showroom launch, people on social media accused the brand of insensitivity, leading to calls for a boycott of Malabar Gold.
Business spread in 14 countries
Malabar Gold & Diamonds is projected to record annual global revenues of $7.5 billion in 2025 and is the world’s fifth-largest jewelery retailer, according to the company’s website. It operates in 14 countries including India, UAE, US, UK and Canada. The fresh boycott call against Malabar Gold & Diamonds appears to have come ahead of Dhanteras, a festival when Indians and non-resident Indians flock to jewelery shops to buy gold and silver for prosperity.
