Supreme Court judge DY Chandrachud said Public intolerance led to the withdrawal of Dabur advertisement with same-sex couple

Reacting on the recent ‘row’ kicked up by the advertisement released by Dabur India that showcased same-sex couple celebrating Karwa Chauth, Supreme Court Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said that “public intolerance” had led to the forced withdrawal of the advertisement. He attributed this to the gulf between laws aimed at removing social inequities and the ground reality. While speaking during the launch of legal awareness programmes by the National Legal Service Authority for the empowerment of women nationwide he said that “There are real-life situations which show that there is a great divergence between ideals of the law and the real state of the society today”. The commercial in question, Dabur’s Fem Fairness Cream, had earned the wrath of the Hindu right-wing for showing two women celebrating Karwa Chauth. In addition to trolling, Dabur India received threats from BJP leaders, including Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra, who threatened to initiate legal action. On October 25, Dabur took down the advertisement hours after Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra warned of legal action against the firm. “Our Constitution is a transformative document that sought to remedy the structural inequalities rooted in patriarchy. It has become a powerful tool to secure material entitlements and provide public affirmations of dignity and equality of women,” Chandrachud said.