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'Deeply saddened': Sabyasachi withdraws Mangalsutra ad campaign after MP minister's 'ultimatum'

In an Instagram story, the designer's firm stated: "The advertisement was meant to be a celebration, and we are profoundly disappointed that it has insulted a segment of our community. As a result, Sabyasachi has chosen to discontinue the campaign."

Sabyasachi withdraws Mangalsutra ad campaign after MP minister's 'ultimatum' says deeply saddened gcw
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New Delhi, First Published Nov 1, 2021, 9:09 AM IST

Sabyasachi Mukherjee's label retracted its promotional campaign for its mangalsutra collection after Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra gave a "24-hour ultimatum" and threatened to send the "police force." In an Instagram story, the designer's firm stated: "The Mangalsutra campaign aims to discuss inclusiveness and empowerment in the context of making tradition and culture a dynamic discourse. The advertisement was meant to be a celebration, and we are profoundly disappointed that it has insulted a segment of our community. As a result, Sabyasachi has chosen to discontinue the campaign."

Sabyasachi withdraws Mangalsutra ad campaign after MP minister's 'ultimatum' says deeply saddened gcw

Narottam Mishra, an MP minister, told the reporters earlier on Sunday, "I have already cautioned about such commercials. I am personally warning designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and have given him a 24-hour deadline. If this offensive and vulgar advertising are not removed, a lawsuit will be filed against him, and legal action will be taken. The cops will be dispatched to the scene." He called the commercial "objectionable" and the mangalsutra "high-value jewellery."

Also Read | '24-hour ultimatum': MP minister gives warning to Sabyasachi over mangalsutra ad

Sabyasachi's brand's mangalsutra advertising featured a lady wearing a low-neckline dress and posing solo and in an intimate position with a male. Following the designer's posting of these images, some social media users remarked that it was "against Hindu tradition" and "obscene." The mangalsutra is a necklace worn by Hindu women who are married.

Last week, Dabur India Limited had previously pulled an advertising picturing a lesbian couple enjoying the Hindu holiday of Karwa Chauth, hours after Narottam Mishra criticised it for displaying "objectionable content" and threatened legal action if the poster was not withdrawn.

Also Read | Sabyasachi brutally trolled for launching a mangalsutra collection with bold photos

In addition, Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ananthkumar Hegde criticised a Ceat Ltd advertising in which Bollywood actor Aamir Khan is portrayed warning people not to let off firecrackers in the streets. Following an outcry, apparel retailer Fabindia pulled its commercial for its current collection, dubbed 'Jashn-e-Riwaaz.'

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