Traders’ body CAIT on Tuesday asked the Centre to ban an outdoor advertisement in Gujarat of Manforce contraceptive brand whose brand ambassador is actress Sunny Leone, saying it was derogatory and encouraged the youth to use its condoms in the name of Navratri festival.
The Confederation of All India Traders appealed to Union Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan in a letter to direct the officials concerned to take a strict action against the brand, Mankind Pharma and the endorser.
The hoarding shows Leone on one side staring at text written in Gujarati, “Ya Navratriyon Ramo Parantu Prem Thi” — which translates into play in Navratri but with love, between two dandiya sticks and above the Manforce logo.
“Though they have not used the word condom in their banner, the intention is very clear as the combination of words like ‘play’, ‘love’ and ‘Navratri’ are coined above the large logo of Manforce,” CAIT National Secretary Praveen Khandelwal said in the letter.
“Their large banners in cities across Gujarat are shouting out to encourage youths to use Manforce condoms in the name of Navratri festival,” Khandelwal said.
Tagging the advertisement as “derogatory”, he further said: “This is a clearly irresponsible and immature attempt to boost sales by putting our cultural value system at stake.”
No comments from The Mankind Pharma could be obtained as the query remained unanswered.
Khandelwal also hit out at Leone claiming it to be “the most irresponsible act of its Brand Ambassador Sunny Leone is an ample testimony of the fact that in the lust of earning huge money, these brand ambassadors can go to any level irrespective of the pious and religious occasion of Navratri even.”
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