Actor-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt on Tuesday came down heavily on Dabur India Limited after it took down an advertisement featuring a lesbian couple celebrating Karwa Chauth. The Indian multinational consumer goods company took the decision of pulling out the advertisement after Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra criticised it for hurting religious sentiments.
“Just keep doing this... slam, bam, ban! So much for being the ‘Mother’ of democracy! Pity a giant like Dabur refused to stand behind their AD. While I don’t endorse a fairness cream in principle, I reserved my comment as they attempted to celebrate Inclusivity and pride. So why hide now?” Bhatt wrote on her Twitter handle.
In a statement on Twitter, Dabur said, “Fem’s Karwa Chauth campaign has been withdrawn from all social media handles and we unconditionally apologise for unintentionally hurting people’s sentiments.”
Dabur had shared the advertisement, promoting a Fem beauty product, across social media platforms on Saturday, a day before Karwa Chauth was celebrated.
Talking to an Indian publication, Narottam Mishra said that it’s good the company withdrew the advertisement and also tendered an apology for the same. “I had asked to send a warning to withdraw the advertisement before registering an FIR for hurting religious sentiments. It’s good that they withdrew the advertisement and also tendered an apology for that,” he said.
In a statement, Mishra had said on Monday, “I consider this a serious matter. More so because such advertisements and clippings are made on the rituals of Hindu festivals only. They showed lesbians celebrating Karwa Chauth and seeing each other through a sieve. In future, they will show two men taking ‘feras’. This is objectionable.”
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