Woman's Poster Defaced With Gutka Spit While Men's Remained Untouched In Maharashtra; Video Sparks Outrage

A video from Maharashtra has gone viral after highlighting what many social media users described as ''a disturbing display of misogyny in a public space.'' The clip shows posters featuring a woman's face covered in gutka and paan spit, while neighbouring posters of male leaders and historical icons remain untouched, triggering a debate on the treatment of women in society.The video was shared on Instagram by content creator Pratik Thackeray, who recorded the scene in Wardha, Maharashtra. The posters were displayed under a bridge along a state highway. While images of prominent figures, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shivaji Maharaj, appeared clean, every poster featuring a woman in a toothpaste advertisement had been defaced

with spit.Reacting to what he witnessed, Thackeray said in the video, "This is the sheer brilliance of our citizenry. Government kuch bhi kar le agar desh hi aise logo se bhara hoga toh kya banega viksit Bharat (No matter what the government does, if the country is full of such people, then how will it become a developed India)?"In the caption accompanying the video, he contrasted the treatment of the posters with the values associated with Shivaji Maharaj."The contradiction hurts the most. We take pride in Shivaji Maharaj who taught us to respect women. His picture on wall has no stain. But a girl’s photo next to his is covered in hate and misogyny.We want first-class cities. But Martin Luther King Jr. said: 'You cannot have a first-class nation with third-class citizens,'" he wrote.

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A post shared by Pratik Thackeray | Content Creator (@pratik_thackeray)

The clip quickly gained traction online, prompting users to discuss what they viewed as a reflection of deep-seated misogyny and disrespect towards women in public spaces. Many expressed anger over the act, while others lamented that such behaviour continues despite claims of social progress."This country is beyond repair," one user commented.Another wrote, "This is the most disgusting part of being in India, and our govt does not do anything about this. However advanced we get, fundamentally we have not progressed."A third user said, "It's not c—a. It's misogyny. Let's call it out for what it is: an inherent hatred for women. Think about it."However, not everyone agreed with that interpretation. One commenter argued, "Stop making everything about men and women. Why aren't you speaking about these posters? Which is illegal to paste on public roads and flyover bridges. Speak about that instead of making it man vs women."