In a video that has now gone viral on the internet, the famous hairstylist-businessman Jawed Habib was seen spitting in a woman’s hair while doing her hair and boasting, “Thook mein jaan hain” (There’s life in this spit).
The National Commission for Women has taken cognizance of the incident and has demanded an immediate investigation into the case. “Have written to the Director-General of Police Uttar Pradesh to investigate the veracity of this viral video and take appropriate action. The action taken must be apprised to the Commission at the earliest”, it said.
@NCWIndia has taken cognizance of the incident. Chairperson @sharmarekha has written to @dgpup to immediately investigate the veracity of this viral video and take appropriate action. The action taken must be apprised to the Commission at the earliest.https://t.co/3wPS2Lavyt
— NCW (@NCWIndia) January 6, 2022
The lady who was spat on by Habib has been identified as Pooja Gupta from Badod. Pooja had attended a seminar in Muzzafarnagar, Uttar Pradesh in which she was called up on the stage by Habib for a haircut demonstration. “Sir called me on the stage and misbehaved with me. He spat in my hair in front of hundreds who laughed and enjoyed his act. He was teaching the attendees to make use of saliva when there’s less water available for a haircut”, she stated in the video.
Pooja, who owns a ladies parlour in Badod refused to continue with the haircut and said that would never again visit any of the Jawed Habib outlets. The act was criticized by many users on social media. “If Jawed Habib had tried this in any western country, his entire chain would have been shut down and he would have been sued”, said Pune based author Shefali Vaidya.
If @JH_JawedHabib had tried this थूक styled haircut in any western country, his entire chain would have been shut down and he would have been sued. But this is India, so the client with a bindi merely laughs as a big blob of halal spit lands on her hair, pic.twitter.com/RvOox6VtRh
— Shefali Vaidya. ?? (@ShefVaidya) January 6, 2022
Another lady user called it disgusting and said that ‘the entire community to which Jawed Habib belongs is simply awful’.
DISGUSTING… Well known South Delhi Hairstylist Javed Habib of Habibs Chain of Salons SРIТТlNG on a customers head rather than spraying water ? This whole community is simply awful ? pic.twitter.com/JyNLB9nR04
— Rosy (@rose_k01) January 5, 2022
Jawed Habib insulting Hindus and Hindu Gods-
This is not the first time Javed Habib has been in the eye of the storm. Earlier in the year 2017, Hyderabad Police had registered a case against him for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus through an advertisement in West Bengal depicting Hindu gods and goddesses in a derogatory way.
The newspaper advertisement showed Goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati and Lord Ganesha and Kartikeya getting their hair fixed, applying makeup, and counting money with Durga looking over them in a Jawed Habib salon along with the tag, “Gods too visit JH salon.”
Jawed Habib joined BJP in 2019. According to his website, his grandfather was an official appointee barber to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Lord Montbatten in the 1940s. His father was an official stylist for Indira Gandhi. Jawed Habib salons today are scattered in 24 states and 110 cities. With a total of 846 outlets, the brand enjoys over 15 lakh customers.
