On Friday morning, #BoycottMyntra was one of the top three trends on Twitter. The hashtag surfaced after ScrollDroll had put out an advertisement for the online shopping platform, which was an illustration based on a scene from the Mahabharata.
The graphic showed Krishna looking for “extra long” sarees on the Myntra app as Dushaasan disrobed Draupadi.
Though the agency may have meant it as tongue in cheek humour, the ad did not go down well with Twitterati who slammed the graphic for trivializing the iconic scene from the Hindu epic, deeming it disrespectful to their religion.
Dear @myntra
— Ravi Ranjan Singh (@ravi_for_you) August 26, 2016
No one allowed to hurt Hindu sentiments on the name of freedom of speech. #BoycottMyntra
#BoycottMyntra
— GmantriJI (@GmantriJI) August 26, 2016
Happily deleted #Myntra app today...
U don't own my religion.
Hindus too have sentiments.
y dont U use prophet cartoon??
So here's how @myntra mocks our Gods and molestation of a woman for their online promotions! #BoycottMyntra pic.twitter.com/qHQ8LbA7gI
— TheFrustratedIndian (@FrustIndian) August 26, 2016
This is pathetic .. It should be banned .. Let them take risk of using other religions and Gods in such a mocking fashion #BoycottMyntra
— AnnoopJoshiअनूप जोशी (@AnnoopJoshii) August 26, 2016
#BoycottMyntra
— UTKARSH KUMAR SHAHI (@ukshahi) August 26, 2016
U r parent company of Myntra @Flipkart .Aplogize&promise never to repeat it or face mass uninstalling pic.twitter.com/m6thZyKxrP
#BoycottMyntra.
— prasad kotekar (@PKotekar) August 26, 2016
The dirty tricks in the name of marketing, you have done wrong!
We won't forgive, neither our Gods! You will pay 4 this!
Order from Myntra > Don't receive it ... #BoycottMyntra
— Chetan Anand (@imchetananand) August 26, 2016
-Go to playstore.
— Gब्बR (@imAbhishek_J) August 26, 2016
-Search Myntra App.
-Give it 1 rating.
-Teach them the lesson For hurting Hindu feelings.
#BoycottMyntra
#BoycottMyntra Mocking people beliefs has become a fashion now days.
— Yash Jindal (@jindalyash) August 26, 2016
Scroll Droll later deleted the tweet and apologized for having hurt anyone’s sentiments. While it is not clear when exactly the graphic was tweeted, Scroll Droll also said that the ad was created in February. The graphic may have resurfaced on Thursday due to Janmashtami.
We apologize and deeply regret if any of our artwork has hurt the sentiments of anyone.
— ScrollDroll (@ScrollDroll) August 25, 2016
This poster was created by us in Feb. We removed it immediately as we never intended to hurt sentiments (1/2) https://t.co/2mYwpaWZhg
— ScrollDroll (@ScrollDroll) August 25, 2016
Scroll Droll added that Myntra had nothing to do with the advertisement. Myntra disassociated itself from the ad as well.
We take up the responsibility of this artwork. Myntra is nowhere associated with it directly or indirectly. (2/2) https://t.co/2mYwpaWZhg
— ScrollDroll (@ScrollDroll) August 25, 2016
We did not create this artwork nor do we endorse this. https://t.co/EWyWUEsky5
— Myntra (@myntra) August 26, 2016