BJP Threats Force Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee To Withdraw Mangalsutra advertisement

New Delhi: Following the Madhya Pradesh minister’s threat to send the cops after him, designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee pulled promotional material for its mangalsutra collection.

“In the context of making heritage and culture a dynamic conversation, the Mangalsutra campaign aimed to talk about inclusivity and empowerment. The campaign was intended as a celebration and we are deeply saddened that it has instead offended a section of our society. So we at Sabyasachi have decided to withdraw the campaign,” the company was quoted as saying in a statement by NDTV.

The move was prompted after Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Mukherjee on Sunday. The minister demanded that he withdraw the advertisement with an “objectionable and obscene” portrayal of mangalsutras — the traditional Hindu necklace for married women — otherwise face arrest.

The mangalsutra advertisement by Sabyasachi’s brand showed intimate portraits of men and women. Soon after the designer shared these pictures, it stirred controversy as a section of social media users deemed it “against Hindu culture” and “obscene”.

“I have warned earlier about such advertisements. I am personally warning designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, giving him a 24-hour ultimatum. If this objectionable and obscene advertisement is not withdrawn, then a case will be registered against him and legal action will be taken. The police force will be sent for the action,” Mishra told the reporters on Sunday.

Sabyasachi’s is the latest made-in-India brand that found itself as the target of online abuse and bullying by BJP leaders after consumer goods giant Dabur, clothing brands Manyavar and Fabindia, and jewellery brand Tanishq in 2020.

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