Dabur has issued an apology over the lesbian Karwa Chauth ad after it was condemned both by Hindus, for hurting their religious sentiments, and the woke camp, for using pride to promote a ‘regressive’ festival and product.
Dabur said in a statement on social media, “Dabur and Fem as a brand strive for diversity, inclusion and equality, and we proudly support these values in our organisation and within our communities. Our campaigns too reflect the same. We understand that not everyone will agree with our stance, and we respect their right to hold a different point of view. Our intention is not to offend any beliefs, customs and traditions, religious or otherwise. If we have hurt the sentiments of any individual or group, it was unintentional, and we apologise. We are also humbled by everyone who have showered their support for the brand and the campaign.”
In another statement hours later after the first, Dabur said, “Fem’s Karwachauth campaign has been withdrawn from all social media handles and we unconditionally apologise for unintentionally hurting people’s sentiments.”
The commercial had not gone down well with the LGBT community who accused the brand of promoting ‘regressive traditions’ such as Karwachauth. The ad was also condemned for glorifying fair skin and indulging in ‘colourism’. Hindus had opposed the ad for once again making a Hindu festival a platform for preaching moral sermons and social justice instead of conveying best wishes to people.