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No need for crackers this Diwali, your outrage is enough!

The festive season in India brings prodigious opportunities for brands to roll out their innovative advertisement campaigns.

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By Shruti Kaushal

The festive season in India is the playground for brands to roll out their innovative ad campaigns. From homecoming to away-from-home tales, brands spare no efforts to pitch their products, and double their sale. However, ad campaigns in the digital age are not confined to sentimental tales and promoting preconceived beliefs. Along with exhibiting their creativity, brands are breaking new ground to drive home social messages along with festivals. But like elsewhere, there will always be those who will be the first to take offence, citing religious sentiments.

With each passing day, another social media outrage! With the internet being accessible to a large section of the population in India, social media outrage is a walk in the park. The latest victim is giant designer brand Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s mangalsutra campaign. The traditional neck ornament that is synonymous with love and the commitment of a wife towards her husband got a little adventurous and politically correct for the tastes of the outraging Outrams.

The campaign in question featured intimate portraits of women and men. It showed a woman in a plunging neck dress and posing intimately with a man. Followed by the launch of the campaign, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra joined the choir of “hurting Hindu sentiments”. The minister issued a 24-hour-ultimatum and threatened to send the police after him. And the designer chose to withdraw the ad.

Deja vu? Last week, another ad campaign by Dabur on Karwa Chauth also succumbed to social media outrage. The ad depicted an LGBTQ couple celebrating the Hindu festival Karwa Chauth, traditional et al but a tad regressive. Conventionally, a married woman fasts for her husband and pray for his longevity. Trolls called it obscene and yes, of course, the chorus sang “hurting religious sentiments”. Two years after the Supreme Court decriminalized IPC Section 377, allowing consensual sex between two adults of the same sex, the same Narottam Mishra got offended by the portrayal of a lesbian couple observing the festival.

Well, this is not it. Following the boycott ‘riwaaz’, social media users demanded the FabIndia’s Jashn-e-Riwaaz Diwali campaign to pull down their advertisement. The brand was ruthlessly trolled for unnecessarily uplifting secularism and hurting religious sentiments for using an Urdu phrase for a festival that is Hindu. Followed by the trolling, FabIndia was forced to withdraw its advertisement. It issued a statement saying that the collection was not a Deepavali collection and that its actual Deepavali collection will be called ‘Jhilmil si Diwali’. Barring a few, no one asked FabIndia why it won’t curate such an elaborate collection for Eid.

Read Also: Dhanteras 2021: Want to switch from Android to IOS? Check these festive deals

It’s Manyavar-Mohey’s turn now. The wedding advertisement featuring Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt hit headlines and joined the boycott trend earlier last month. Reason? For throwing light on how a girl child is considered as a liability in India who is just born to get married and go to her ‘own house’ which is her husband’s. The advertisement did not only trigger trolls but also nepotism destroyer-in-chief Kangana Ranaut, who felt the need for ‘re-establishment of Ram Rajya’, and bashed the ad for mocking Hindu rituals. However, the brand stood by its progressive message and opted not to withdraw the ad. Commendable, ain’t it?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CL4dQglJDfj/

The boycotting of ads has undeniably pushed us to wonder at both the creativity of a resilient few and the crass hypocrisy of the vast mob. Brands are spending massive budgets on socially conscious campaigns and using their creativity to speak up for progressive causes. So will you burst crackers or light them diyas, Happy Diwali to both parties! Save the outrage after November 4, thank you.

India News

Abhishek Banerjee says will not bow to BJP after nearly 11 hours of ED questioning

After spending nearly 11 hours before the Enforcement Directorate, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said he would not bow to the BJP and accused the ruling party of using investigative agencies for political purposes.

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Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress leader and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday said he would not bow to the BJP after spending nearly 11 hours being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an ongoing investigation.

Speaking after the questioning, Banerjee alleged that central agencies were being used to target opposition leaders and asserted that he would continue his political fight despite what he described as sustained pressure.

The TMC leader has repeatedly maintained that investigations involving him are politically motivated, a charge he has made on several previous occasions while appearing before central agencies.

His appearance before the ED comes amid a period of heightened political activity and multiple investigations involving leaders in West Bengal. Recent days have also seen Banerjee face summons and questioning in separate matters by state investigative agencies.

After leaving the ED office, Banerjee reiterated that he would not be intimidated and said he remained committed to his political responsibilities. He also accused the BJP of attempting to weaken opposition parties through investigative action, an allegation that the BJP has rejected in the past.

The Enforcement Directorate has not publicly commented on Banerjee’s remarks. The investigation related to the questioning remains ongoing.

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India News

DMK attacks Rahul Gandhi, accuses him of weakening opposition unity

DMK has intensified its criticism of Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader’s actions have weakened opposition unity and strained relations within the INDIA bloc.

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Rahul-Gandhi

The war of words between the DMK and Congress has intensified, with the DMK launching a strong attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and accusing him of contributing to divisions within the opposition alliance. The criticism comes amid strained ties between the two parties following their political split in Tamil Nadu.

According to the DMK, Rahul Gandhi’s political approach has weakened unity among opposition parties. The party’s IT wing mocked the Congress leader on social media, while an editorial published in the DMK’s official mouthpiece Murasoli questioned his recent remarks on opposition solidarity.

DMK questions Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on opposition unity

In its editorial, Murasoli argued that Rahul Gandhi was speaking about opposition unity despite, according to the DMK, contributing to disagreements among alliance partners in several states. The publication cited criticism directed at Congress by various opposition parties and suggested that the party’s actions had often created tensions within the INDIA bloc.

The editorial also referred to past political disputes involving Congress and Left parties, particularly in Kerala, claiming such episodes had raised concerns among opposition allies about Congress’s approach toward its partners.

Tamil Nadu political fallout adds to tensions

The attack comes after a major political realignment in Tamil Nadu. Following the 2026 Assembly elections, Congress ended its alliance with the DMK and joined the government led by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The move left the DMK in the opposition and significantly altered the political equation between the two former allies.

The DMK has alleged that Congress benefited from the alliance during the election and later abandoned its partner. The party’s editorial questioned whether assurances from Congress leadership would be trusted by alliance partners after the developments in Tamil Nadu.

Congress rejects allegations

Congress has not issued a detailed official response to the editorial, but party sources have rejected the allegations. According to the party, its decisions in Tamil Nadu were made in line with the mandate delivered by voters and were not intended to undermine either the DMK or the broader opposition alliance.

The latest exchange highlights growing strains between two key opposition parties even as leaders continue to stress cooperation on national issues. Just days earlier, Rahul Gandhi had said that the DMK remained aligned with the opposition on defending the “idea of India” despite political differences.

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Entertainment

Kumkum Bhagya actor Sanchita Ugale dies by suicide near Mumbai at 22

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, died by suicide at her residence near Mumbai. Police have launched an investigation.

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Sanchita Ugale

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for her appearances in Kumkum Bhagya, Wagle Ki Duniya and Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi, died by suicide at her residence in Nalasopara East near Mumbai on June 14. She was 22.

According to police officials, the incident took place at her home in Achole village, Nalasopara East. Authorities said Ugale had locked herself inside her bedroom and was later found hanging from a ceiling fan. Family members and local residents rushed her to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. Officials said inquiries are underway and the exact reason behind the incident has not yet been established.

Career across television, OTT and films

Ugale had built a growing presence in the entertainment industry through television, streaming projects and films. Apart from Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, she played a lead role in Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi. She also appeared in OTT projects such as Crime Aaj Kal and Silence 2.

The actor was also associated with the film Chhaava, which contributed to her growing recognition among audiences.

Last social media post draws attention

Following news of her death, social media users shared and commented on Ugale’s final Instagram post, which had been uploaded hours before the incident. The post showed the actor in traditional attire lip-syncing to a classic Bollywood song. Fans expressed shock and grief after learning of her death.

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