PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
Alleging that the company had hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus through its dress code, some members of a right-wing outfit known as Hindu Raksha Dal (HRD) barged into a Lenskart showroom in Dehradun on Wednesday. They also allegedly applied Tilak and tied Kalava on the writs of the employees present there. The organisation’s state president, Lalit Sharma said that they have given Lenskart a deadline till 8 AM on Thursday to put a saffron flag at its showroom. He warned that if the demand is not met, the showroom would face a stronger backlash.
The controversy had started after a social media post went viral. In the post, the film director Ashok Pandit shared a document which was said to be Lenskart’s dress code policy. The document allegedly instructed its employees not to wear religious symbols like Bindi, Tilak or Kalava while on duty. This sparked protests by several Hindu organisations across the country.
Police said they had tried to control the situation. “We stopped Sharma at his office. However, some members of the group still reached the showroom and created a ruckus,” said a police officer.
A day before this incident, members of the Kali Sena had visited a Lenskart store. They recited the Hanuman Chalisa and applied tilak and kalava to the staff. Reports suggest that due to such incidents, some employees at some Lenskart outlets are not coming to work, fearing trouble.
