Shruti Suman
Earlier this month, Rahul Gandhi brought a puppy home for his mother, Sonia Gandhi, and introduced it to the public through a video on his YouTube channel, @rahulgandhi. In the video, he said, “Meet Noorie, the newest member of our family.”
However, he has now been accused of hurting religious sentiments by naming the puppy Noorie, which means “light.”
The video, posted two weeks ago, starts with the Congress leader’s “quick visit to Goa to get Ma a new friend.” It shows Sonia welcoming the puppy outside their home and bringing it indoors.
Rahul posted, “I’d like you all to meet the newest and the cutest member of our family — our little puppy, Noorie. She (puppy) flew in from Goa straight into our arms and has become the new light of our lives.”
A leader from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has filed a petition with the chief judicial magistrate of Allahabad, alleging that Rahul hurt Muslim sentiments by naming the puppy Noorie.
Mohammad Farhan, the spokesperson for the Uttar Pradesh unit of AIMIM led by Asaduddin Owaisi, stated, “I have informed the court that the word ‘Noor’ is associated with Prophet Mohammad and is mentioned 42 times in the Quran. ‘Noorie’ is a synonym of ‘Noor,’ and naming the puppy Noorie has hurt the sentiments of the minority community.”
He added, “The court has summoned me for November 8 before deciding on the case.”
The petitioner also mentioned that several Islamic saints, including Hazrat Abul Hussain Ahmad Noorie, have the word “Noorie” in their names, making it a holy word for their community. As such, the petitioner believes that no animal should be given this name.
