NEW DELHI: Hindustan Unilever’s new advertisement for Surf Excel is under-fire and has evoked an extreme reaction from some Hindutva supporters.
Angry with this Holi-themed advertisement for a detergent, right-wingers want to #BoycottSurfExcel and #BoycottHULproducts and succeeded in trending. .
Many accused the ad promotes “love jihad”, the conspiracy theory floated by Hindutva supporters.
[also_read url=”https://www.siasat.com/news/whats-surf-excels-new-ad-hindu-muslim-all-about-1474740/”]What’s this Surf Excel’s new ad on Hindu-Muslim is all about?[/also_read]
Here are some tweets:
Angry with ad, Twitterati trend #BoycottSurfExcelhttps://t.co/RYarqfr9xX
— DNA (@dna) March 9, 2019
#boycottSurfexcel
I'll stop buying Surf Excel from today— @Public.. (@lk946) March 9, 2019
https://twitter.com/and_pvt/status/1104349971950653441
Surf Excel India#boycottSurfExcel#अजातशत्रु pic.twitter.com/gMY5gfxcEc
— अजात_शत्रु 🇮🇳🇮🇳 (@Thakur__007) March 9, 2019
Of course, #BoycottSurfExcel remained a top trend on Twitter but not everyone bought into this blind outrage.
The Sanghis have completely lost the capacity to think healthy. They are trending #BoycottSurfExcel. Why? Because their twisted minds are showing them "love Jihad" in the recent Holi ad featuring children. It's a beautiful ad that promotes communal harmony. But fascists hate it.
— Manimugdha Sharma (@quizzicalguy) March 9, 2019
Search #BoycottSurfExcel hashtag and witness #TheCultOfStupidity in action. I hope @HUL_News will have the conviction to stand by their advertisement aimed at promoting communal harmony & not be cowed down by hate mongers.
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) March 9, 2019
This beautiful Ad has angered Sanghis and they want to Boycott #SurfExcel. There are some things Surf Excel cant clean. The Filthy Mind of Indian RW is one of them pic.twitter.com/XLAijY3OSE
— Joy (@Joydas) March 10, 2019
The Surf Excel ad titled “Rang Laaye Sang” — (Colours brings us together) features a young Hindu girl protecting her young Muslim friend who needs a bicycle ride to a nearby mosque.