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One of India's top jewellery retailers has withdrawn an advertisement featuring an inter-faith baby shower after a vicious backlash on social media by Hindu hardliners who said it glorified "love jihad".
Critics of the withdrawal said it exemplified the atmosphere of religious intolerance towards minorities that has grown since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power six years ago.
The advertisement by Tanishq - owned by the giant Tata Group - showed a Muslim family organising a traditional baby shower for their Hindu daughter-in-law. Tata's owners are from the Parsi minority who follow the Zoroastrian religion.
Tanishq said the idea behind the "Ekatvam" (unity and oneness) collection was to "celebrate the coming together of people from different walks of life".
"We are deeply saddened with the inadvertent stirring of emotions and withdraw this (advertisement) keeping in mind the hurt sentiments and well-being of our employees, partners and store staff," the company said in a statement on Tuesday.
The NDTV channel reported on Wednesday that a Tanishq store was attacked in Gandhidham, a city in Mr Modi's home state of Gujarat, and the manager forced to write an apology.
The Press Trust of India reported that the store's staff posted an apology outside the store following hundreds of threatening calls.
"The Tanishq ad appearing in media today is shameful," read the note, written in Gujarati, the state language. "Gandhidham Tanishq seeks forgiveness from the entire Hindu community of Kutch district."
The local mayor later denied the NDTV report, although he said police patrols near the outlet were increased.
"They did get a lot of phone calls because of the ad, but there has been no attack or ransacking," said police superintendent Mayur Patil. "Police are present at the store, and the store is functioning."
Despite the advertisement's withdrawal, #BoycottTanishq was trending on Twitter, with one user saying it was meant to showcase the "love jihad collection". "Majority of your customers are Hindu and u are hurting their sentiments. Shame on you," wrote another user.
"Love jihad" is a recent term coined by Hindu extremists to accuse Muslim men of seducing Hindu women and making them convert - a flashpoint issue in the officially secular country.
Inter-religious relationships are rare in still hugely-traditional India, particularly in rural areas where marriages are mostly arranged by matchmakers. Those who marry outside their caste and religion are often ostracised and sometimes killed, ostensibly to preserve family honour.
By Wednesday no senior member of Mr Modi's government had commented on the Tanishq incident.
"Top leaders (of the ruling party) never come out and condemn these hate campaigns. Because they are totally silent, they seem to be condoning such behaviour," said political analyst Parsa Venkateshwar Rao. "This creates an atmosphere of hatred all over."
The withdrawal of the advertisement also provoked criticism that the company is pandering to extremists.
"Its capitulation points to the pervasive atmosphere of fear and intimidation that some have unleashed in the country," said Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor. "Never thought I'd see the day when purveying communal hatred is the new normal."
Advertisement bodies have come out in support of Tanishq and demanded action against what they called "intimidating behaviour".
Rejecting a complaint against the advertisement for "promoting communal intermingling", The Advertising Standards Council of India said that there is no violation of any code.
AFP, Reuters
