British multinational confectionery company Cadbury has found itself in hot water over a Diwali advertisement campaign. Social media erupted in outrage after Hindu political activist Sadhvi Prachi shared the ad on Twitter, claiming that the commercial is controversial because it features a poor lamp seller named "Damodar," who is allegedly modelled on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's father.
Prachi went on to allege that the company had “done this to show someone with PM Narendra Modi’s father’s name in poor light.”
Soon after she shared the tweet, #BoycottCadbury started to trend on the social media platform as users began posting a screenshot of the brand's website that surfaced last year where the company allegedly stated that it used gelatin "which is halal certified and derived from beef."
Netizens Call for Boycott Cadbury as They Shared Old Screenshot of Company
© Photo : Twitter/@Paise_WalaOrg
A Twitter User Calls for Boycott of all Cadbury Products
© Photo : Twitter/@BisargaOnline
At the time, Cadbury issued a clarification that all products manufactured and sold in India were vegetarian following the massive outrage. Further, the company appealed to its customers to verify facts about Cadbury's product before sharing them further.
There were some users, however, who slammed Sadhvi Prachi, saying: “This #BoycottCadbury is another level of stupidity”.
Some users also said that they “will continue to buy and eat Cadbury products.”