A billboard in Pune, Maharashtra, honouring flydubai hero pilot Captain Smit Machchar has sparked controversy over its slogan.
The billboard put up by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha says Be a Machchar, not a cockroach. The slogan is being seen as a veiled attack on the Cockroach Janta Party and participants in recent nationwide student protests.Captain Machchar gained worldwide attention for saving flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. The Boeing 737 carrying 174 people plunged nearly 14,000 feet after co-pilot allegedly stabbed him.
Despite severe injuries, Machchar unlocked the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the attacker and land safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Critics say using a story of heroism to take a swipe at political opponents politicises an act of courage, while supporters see it as a call to emulate bravery.There is no official statement yet from BJYM on the slogan or whether the billboard will be removed.
