Following an attack on a couple from Lausanne, Switzerland, in Fatehpur Sikri, Agra on Sunday, a radio channel ran a campaign called #MatAaoIndia. However, what they said was intended to be an indirect commentary on India’s poor security, backfired heavily on the radio channel.
Soon, owing to massive criticism, Radio Mirchi had to apologise.
Akash Banerjee, Vice President of the channel, shared a video urging foreign tourists not to visit India with a campaign hasgtag #MatAaoIndia. While Banerjee has since deleted his tweet, you can see the screenshots here.
With lumpen elements openly campaigning #MatAaoIndia, I’ll never ever listen to @RadioMirchi again #MatSunoMirchi pic.twitter.com/I3V5Q5JlY6
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) October 26, 2017
The campaign received massive backlash. What particularly irked users was that the channel head tagged the International Service of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation in the campaign.
Mat Aao India, Don’t Come to India, screams @RadioMirchi‘s DESPICABLE & UNACCEPTABLE campaign in the wake of an awful, terrible crime. SICK. pic.twitter.com/UfeJEC7c6N
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) October 26, 2017
This is one campaign I wish Indians to follow: #MatSunoMirchi
Tag: @malviyamit @TajinderBagga please do it..https://t.co/UqwPUATD5b— Mihir Jha ✍️ (@MihirkJha) October 26, 2017
No more radio mirchi. #MatSunoMirchi. I will ask my friends to do the same
— Mr.Walker (@NikipediaN) October 26, 2017
People should #BoycottRadioMirchi and mass block that jihadi Bengali libarandu Akash.
— Jagadiswar Mohapatra (@imjagadiswar) October 26, 2017
Is they want tourists to #MatAaoIndia, then Times group shud not accept #IncredibleIndia ads from tourism ministry pic.twitter.com/1rA8J0PJ4f
— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) October 27, 2017
Crimes happen in every country. But a takes a special jerk to blow it up to deliberately defame the entire country.https://t.co/SBiwlXvGF2
— Sankrant Sanu सानु (@sankrant) October 26, 2017
Many social media users also registered their complaints with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), which promised to look into the matter.
Thank you for approaching ASCI. Our complaints team would be taking this forward. We shall keep you posted on the progress via email. https://t.co/SOB7iPajMS
— ASCI (@ascionline) October 27, 2017
The back was enough for the radio channel to post an apology by Friday afternoon.
— RadioMirchi (@RadioMirchi) October 27, 2017
Not just this, a website reported that the I&B Ministry headed by Smriti Irani issued show cause notice to the channel for its ‘anti-India campaign’.