In letters to Twitter and YouTube, the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting said that the videos were "detrimental to the
portrayal of women in the interest of decency and morality" and in
violation of Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media
Ethics Code).
The videos of the perfume brand Layer Shot sparked outrage
among a large section of social media users, who claimed the advertisement
sought to promote sexual violence against women
"It has come to the notice of the Ministry of
Information & Broadcasting that an inappropriate and derogatory
advertisement of a deodorant is circulating on social media. The Ministry has
asked Twitter and YouTube to immediately pull down all instances of this
advertisement," an official spokesperson said.
The ministry, in the letters to Twitter and YouTube, said
that the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) too has found the videos
in violation of its guidelines and asked the advertiser to suspend the
advertisement on an immediate basis.
"Fuming at cringe worthy ads of the perfume 'Shot'.
They show toxic masculinity in its worst form and clearly promote gang rape
culture!The company owners must be held accountable. Have issued notice to
Delhi Police and written letter to I&B Minister seeking FIR and strong
action," Swati Maliwal, Chairperson on the Delhi Commission for Women
said.
Responding to the outrage sparked by the advertisement, the
ASCI said on Twitter: "The ad is in serious breach of the ASCI Code and is
against public interest. We have taken immediate action and notified the
advertiser to suspend the ad, pending investigation." Actors Farhan
Akhtar, Richa Chadha and Swara Bhasker criticised the perfume brand for
promoting "gang rape culture" with its latest advertisements.
Taking to Twitter, Akhtar said the people behind the
"tasteless" advertisements should be ashamed.
"What incredibly tasteless and twisted minds it must
take to think up, approve and create these stinking body spray 'gang rape'
innuendo ads!! Shameful," the actor wrote.
Chadha said both the brand and the agency that came up with
the advertisements should be "sued for the filth they're serving".
"This ad is not an accident. To make an ad, a brand
goes through several layers of decision making. Creatives, script, agency,
client, casting... does every everyone think rape is a joke? Revelatory!"
she tweeted.
Referring to the Hyderabad gang-rape case, Bhasker said she
found the ads "beyond disgusting".
"A teenage girl was gang raped in Hyderabad-such
incidents happen daily in India.. companies like @layerr_shot choose to make TV
adverts joking abt & ‘cool-ifying' rape & gangrape. Beyond disgusting!
Not just tone deaf, also criminal! Absolutely shameful! What agency created
it?" she posted.
Singer Sona Mohatra also criticised the ads and wrote, "Theme - Gang-rape. Gagging after I saw it here on my twitter timeline & wondering if giving them additional publicity is worse." Reacting to the ads, Rishita, who described herself as a social media influencer, wrote on Twitter, "How does this kind of ads get approved, sick and outright disgusting. Is @layerr_shot full of perverts? Second ad with such disgusting content from Shot."