Overview
- After a viral confrontation in a Mumbai outlet on Monday led by BJP leader Nazia Elahi Khan, videos showed staff being lined up as tilak was applied and slogans were raised inside the store.
- Protests then moved to other cities, with groups in Bhopal on Tuesday and Udaipur on Wednesday applying tilak and tying kalawa to employees while calling for boycotts.
- Local pressure persisted on Thursday as activists in Nalasopara visited a store, repeated tilak applications, and warned against any curbs on Hindu symbols.
- Lenskart says an older training note triggered the anger, and CEO Peyush Bansal apologized and published a revised in‑store style guide that allows bindi, tilak, sindoor, kalawa, mangalsutra, kada, hijab, and turban.
- Unverified clips about small temples kept under counters and unnamed staff claims continue to circulate, while political and religious figures such as Nitesh Rane and Dhirendra Shastri attack the brand and keep frontline employees in the spotlight.