The X (formerly Twitter) account of Nidhi Mittal Bansal, wife of Lenskart founder and CEO Peyush Bansal and the Chairperson at the Lenskart Foundation, has been deactivated after her old tweets targeting PM Modi and the BJP resurfaced online, triggering a fresh storm.
The now-viral screenshots, dating back to 2013–2015, show Nidhi Mittal Bansal expressing support for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) while posting sharp remarks against the BJP and Hindu organisations. Some posts carried hashtags such as #vote4mufflerman and #DelhiDecides, while others criticised the Hindu Mahasabha and made disparaging references to the BJP. As these posts spread widely across social media, her account (@nidhimittal13) became inaccessible, suggesting it was taken down amid mounting backlash.
In yet another tweet, Mittal passed an allusive remark insulting Lord Ram.
The development comes at a time when Peyush Bansal himself is under intense scrutiny over a controversial Lenskart “style guide” that discriminated against Hindu religious symbols.
Lenskart row: From denial to admission
The controversy erupted after a 23-page internal document titled “Lenskart Staff Uniform and Grooming Guide” surfaced online. The document, reportedly dated February 2, 2026, laid down grooming rules for employees but triggered outrage over its treatment of religious symbols.
The guide stated that employees were not allowed to wear bindis or sacred threads (kalava), and were required to remove religious wristbands as part of grooming norms. At the same time, it permitted the wearing of hijab and turban, albeit with certain specifications such as a mandatory black colour. The document also advised that vermilion (sindoor), if worn, should be applied sparingly and not spread across the forehead.
This perceived asymmetry, where Hindu symbols were treated as grooming violations while Islamic attire was explicitly accommodated, became the core of the public backlash.
Peyush Bansal’s response under scrutiny
Amid the backlash, Peyush Bansal issued a statement on April 15, initially calling the viral document “inaccurate” and claiming it did not reflect Lenskart’s current policies.
However, this claim was challenged by a Community Note on X, which pointed out that the document carried a February 2026 date and official branding, indicating it was neither outdated nor misrepresented.
In his subsequent tweet, Bansal revised his stance, acknowledging that the document was real but describing it as an “outdated internal training document” rather than an official HR policy. He admitted that the line restricting bindi and tilak “should never have been written” and claimed it had been removed internally on February 17.
He added that, as founder and CEO, he takes responsibility for the lapse and reiterated that Lenskart does not and will not prohibit any form of respectful religious expression.
Questions linger despite clarification
Despite the apology, several inconsistencies continue to raise concerns. If the document had indeed been removed on February 17, questions remain as to why a version dated February 2026 was still being circulated among employees. The company has also not made any updated or corrected policy public, leaving a gap in transparency at a time when consumer trust is under strain.
Besides, several social media users have now stated that internal audits from March reveal the company continued to discriminate against sporting a tilak and bindi, further stoking outrage.
