‘File a complaint’: Man spots paan-stained dustbin on display at Kanpur store, video sparks criticism

Paan stain inside dustbin put up on display at Kanpur store (Image source: @devotedindian/Instagram)

Paan (tobacco) stains in public places across India have long been a persistent problem, highlighting a lack of civic sense and public decency among some citizens. The issue has even reached cities like London, where local civic authorities impose hefty fines on individuals caught spitting paan on the streets. However, a recent video from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh has once again sparked outrage on the internet.

The clip, shared by an Instagram handle @devotedindian, shows a dustbin, kept on display for sale at a store, with paan stains inside. In the clip, a man lifts the lid of the dustbin and zooms in to show red paan stains in the bin. “Ab batao kya hoga Kanpur ka bhai (Tell me, what will happen to Kanpur?),” the man says in the video.

“Bolo juban kesri. Kanpur will never change,” the caption read.

The video has since gone viral, accumulating over 4 lakh views and igniting a backlash. “And that’s why I never understood the videos claiming kanpuriyas are awesome and all. These people have confused confidence with overconfidence,” a user wrote. “As a kanpuriya we should be ashamed, nothing funny in this video. Only thing it tells the rest of country that how uncivilized we are,” another user commented.

“Diy plz Take a look into cctv recording, spot the culprits, take a printout and file a complaint against him, also paste his photo on DIY entrance with a remark ENTRY BAN FOR THIS MAN,” a third user said.

In December, a video showing a giant billboard featuring a woman covered with paan stains sparked widespread outrage on social media. In January 2025, Mumbai’s Trans Harbour Link was seen covered with red paan stains a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the bridge.