After controversial advertisement, Tanishq's employee threatened
What's the story
The advertisement by popular jewelry brand Tanishq, which was accused of promoting "Love Jihad," sparked a barrage of threats for one of its employees, a Melt report claimed. Though the brand, from the house of Tata, pulled down the clip on Tuesday, the conversations around tolerance in the country, allegations of demeaning the majority have kept a large population busy. Here's what happened.
Background
Ad depicted Hindu daughter-in-law in Muslim household, ruffled many feathers
For the latest Ekatvam collection, Tanishq wanted to depict Hindu-Muslim unity. In the advertisement, a Muslim family was seen celebrating a baby shower, a Hindu custom, to make their daughter-in-law happy. The Hindu daughter-in-law was shown in awe of the acceptance her in-laws bestowed on her. However, this advertisement sparked a #BoycottTanishq trend on Twitter and the company was slammed.
Problem
Ad didn't show reality of inter-faith relationships, claimed detractors
Those who opposed the advertisement said the brand attempted to paint a picture that was in sharp disagreement with reality. They cited examples of Hindu girls being assaulted, killed, and forced to convert after a relationship with a Muslim man. Tata boss Ratan Tata was also criticized. Meanwhile, the clip's supporters said it portrayed India's plurality and Tanishq shouldn't give in to the outrage.
Statement
Ekatvam campaign was meant to celebrate oneness: Tanishq
Hours after the advertisement was deleted from Tanishq's YouTube page, the brand released a statement. "The idea behind the Ekatvam campaign is to celebrate the coming together of people from different walks of life, local communities and families during these challenging times and celebrate the beauty of oneness," the statement read, adding that it invited reactions contrary to the expectations.
Quote
"Withdrawing film keeping in mind employees' safety"
"We are deeply saddened with the inadvertent stirring of emotions and withdraw this film keeping in mind the hurt sentiments, and the well being of our employees, partners, and store staff," the statement added, further inviting ire for not categorically apologizing for hurting Hindu sentiments.
Threats
Multiple reports claimed staff was threatened and trolled
Amid the raging row, Melt claimed a Tanishq employee and his family were mercilessly trolled and threatened. NDTV said that a brand manager from Bengaluru, who wasn't associated with the campaign, was also trolled. After the information surfaced, some opined on Twitter that Tanishq should have provided security to its staff. Actor Divya Dutta, who lent voice to the clip, said the withdrawal was disheartening.
Attack
Cop dismissed reports about attack on Tanishq showroom in Gujarat
Earlier today, reports claimed that a Tanishq store in Gandhidham, Gujarat, was vandalized by a mob. A senior cop called it fake news being spread "as a part of propaganda." However, an apology, purportedly penned by the showroom's manager, was pasted at the premises. Notably, the controversy affected Tanishq's market value with Titan stock ending 2.1% below on the BSE and 2.5% on NSE.