English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

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.

Published

on

advertisement campaigns

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

India hits back at Shehbaz Sharif at UN, says terror will have consequences

India hit back at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s UN speech, with New Delhi warning that terrorism will have consequences.

Published

on

India has responded to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks at the United Nations, delivering a strong message on terrorism and warning that such actions will have consequences.

The response came after Mr Sharif addressed the UN and raised issues concerning India and Pakistan. New Delhi rejected the narrative presented by the Pakistani prime minister and highlighted the issue of terrorism.

India’s message was delivered by Petal Gehlot, who represented New Delhi in the response to Pakistan.

India warns Pakistan over terrorism

India’s response focused on Pakistan’s record and its approach towards terrorism. New Delhi made clear that terrorism cannot be separated from its consequences and that those responsible cannot expect such actions to go unanswered.

The Indian side also pushed back against the claims and allegations made by Mr Sharif during his UN speech.

The exchange comes amid continuing tensions between India and Pakistan, with terrorism remaining a major point of disagreement between the two countries.

Shehbaz Sharif’s UN remarks

In his address, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke about India-Pakistan relations and raised several issues concerning New Delhi.

India subsequently exercised its right of reply to respond to Pakistan’s statements at the United Nations.

New Delhi’s response underlined its position that terrorism remains a serious issue in the relationship and that there would be consequences for terrorist actions.

The latest exchange at the UN adds to the continuing diplomatic confrontation between the two neighbouring countries.

Continue Reading

India News

Veeramani POCSO case: Vijay questions Stalin over earlier probe

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has questioned MK Stalin over the handling of the Veeramani POCSO case, while Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected anyone.

Published

on

Actor Vijay

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay has questioned DMK president MK Stalin over the handling of the POCSO case involving Gem Granites founder R Veeramani. The political exchange follows renewed investigation into allegations involving minor girls.

Vijay’s remarks came as the ruling TVK stepped up its questions about how the case was handled during the previous DMK government. The party’s IT wing has alleged that the earlier investigation was weakened and questioned why a final report was filed.

The allegations have been rejected by the DMK. Stalin has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to protect anyone in the case and has called the allegations false and defamatory.

What did Vijay say about the Veeramani case?

Vijay questioned Stalin over the handling of the case and demanded an explanation from the former chief minister.

The TVK has specifically questioned why action was not taken against Veeramani during the previous administration and why the earlier investigation resulted in a closure report.

The party has also raised questions about the role of officials involved in the earlier investigation. These are political allegations made by the TVK and have not been established as facts.

What is the Veeramani POCSO case?

The case concerns allegations of sexual abuse of minors involving R Veeramani, the founder of Gem Granites.

The case came under renewed scrutiny after a special POCSO court rejected an earlier closure report and ordered further investigation. The expanded probe has subsequently identified additional alleged survivors who were minors at the time of the alleged offences, according to current reporting.

The investigation is also examining the circumstances surrounding the earlier probe and whether there were any lapses in how the case was handled.

What has MK Stalin said?

Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected Veeramani.

He has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to shield anyone in the case. Stalin has also said that everyone responsible for the alleged offences, including anyone who aided or attempted to protect the accused, should face the law.

The DMK president has further said that the focus should remain on securing justice for the affected girls rather than making political allegations.

Why has the case become a political issue?

The Veeramani case has become the subject of a political dispute between the ruling TVK and the DMK over the handling of the earlier investigation.

The TVK is questioning the previous government’s handling of the case, while the DMK has denied that it intervened to protect the accused.

At this stage, claims about political interference or deliberate weakening of the earlier investigation should be treated as allegations unless established by the ongoing investigation or judicial proceedings.

Continue Reading

India News

Women wrestlers challenge Brij Bhushan’s acquittal in sexual harassment case

Four women wrestlers have challenged the acquittal of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar in a sexual harassment case.

Published

on

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

Four women wrestlers have approached a Delhi court challenging the acquittal of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case.

The wrestlers have also challenged the acquittal of co-accused Vinod Tomar. The matter is scheduled to be heard by a Special Judge at the Rouse Avenue Courts.

The appeal challenges the order passed by an Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate on August 3, 2026, when Brij Bhushan and Tomar were acquitted in the case.

Wrestlers challenge court’s reasoning

In their appeal, the wrestlers have argued that the acquittal order is legally unsustainable and that the evidence was not assessed appropriately.

They have also alleged that the order relied on assumptions about how victims of sexual assault and harassment were expected to behave instead of assessing the evidence and circumstances of the complainants.

The challenge seeks judicial scrutiny of the findings that resulted in the acquittal of Brij Bhushan and Tomar.

Brij Bhushan was acquitted in August

The Rouse Avenue court acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on August 3 in the sexual harassment case involving women wrestlers. The court’s decision followed consideration of the evidence and statements presented during the proceedings.

The case had emerged after several women wrestlers accused the former WFI chief of sexual harassment. The allegations had led to a major protest by wrestlers in 2023.

The latest appeal means the acquittal is now being challenged before a higher court.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com