DABUR REMOVES KARWA CHAUTH AD AFTER BACKLASH

NEW DELHI: Homegrown fastmoving-consumer-goods (FMCG) player Dabur has withdrawn its advertisement on Karva Chauth showing a lesbian couple celebrating the festival in the ad campaign of its Fem Creme bleach and has issued unconditionally apology.

After facing backlash on social media platforms and also from a politician from the ruling BJP, the company has withdrawn the ad campaign. “Fem’s Karwachauth campaign has been withdrawn from all social media handles and we unconditionally apologise for unintentionally hurting people’s sentiments,” said Dabur India on its Twitter account.

The development comes just a week after ethnic and traditional apparel maker FabIndia removing a promotional capsule about its new festive line after backlash from right-wing groups on social media platforms.

The Fem Creme ad, which had gone viral, has depicted two young women preparing for their first Karva Chauth festival while one is applying bleach on the other’s face.

In the ad, both women are seen discussing the significance of Karva Chauth and the reason for celebrating it. Another woman joins them and gifts both of them a saree to wear for the occasion. In the night, both women are seen facing each other like husband-wife with a decorated plate having a glass of water, signalling them as partners following which Fem’s logo appears on the screen and the voiceover says, “glow with pride”.

Though a section of people also hailed Dabur for its proLBGQTIA+ stance.

On Monday, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra had said he has directed the state police chief to convey to Dabur India to withdraw the “objectionable” beauty product advertisement and take legal steps if the ad is not taken back by the consumer goods maker. Earlier on Sunday night, Dabur had responded to the social media backlash in a separate statement.