‘Gangsters are not heroes’: Meesho is selling Lawrence Bishnoi T-shirts and the internet is not happy about it

When it comes to online shopping, almost anything can be bought and sold within minutes. People love ordering new stuff from the comfort of their homes and the online shopping trend is growing day by day. However, every coin has two sides and there are some challenges associated with online shopping as well. As per latest reports, e-commerce platform Meesho is facing backlash over its latest product - Lawrence Bishnoi T-shirts. Yes, you read that right.

The popular e-commerce platform is under the scanner for listing merchandise featuring the infamous gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Social media erupted when users discovered T-shirts adorned with his image being sold online, sparking debates about the consequences of idealising criminal figures. Journalist Alishan Jafri highlighted the worrying trend in an X thread, explaining how such merchandise feeds into a broader issue of online gangster glorification, which is influencing real-world violence among the youth. The T-shirts, as per the thread, were being sold on the platform for prices starting from Rs 168.

Jafri shared examples of minors inspired by these online depictions committing serious crimes, from violent assaults to murder. For instance, he recounted incidents like a 15-year-old killing a friend after being influenced by gang content and minors in Delhi attempting to emulate “dons” for social media fame. His investigation underlined that while authorities work tirelessly to curb these trends, platforms hosting such merchandise inadvertently contribute to a culture of gang idolisation.

Meesho’s listing has drawn widespread criticism, with many questioning the ethics behind promoting figures linked to violent crime.

“This should be stopped, we can't encourage the younger generation to think of this gangster as heroes,” a user wrote and another added, “And a kid also wearing a his t shirt. So wrong.”

Let us take a look at some more reactions:


However, when Business Insider India tried finding these T-shirts on Meesho's website, they appear to have been taken down.