Muslim BJP leader storms Lenskart store amid bindi-hijab row, applies tilak on staff
MUMBAI, APR 21 : Amid the row over eyewear retailer Lenskart allegedly disapproving employees from wearing bindi and tilak at the workplace while allowing the hijab, members of Hindu organisations, led by a Muslim BJP leader, stormed into a showroom in Mumbai, where they applied tilak on employees, tied sacred threads (kalawa) on their wrists, and raised slogans.
BJP Minority Morcha leader Nazia Elahi, along with others, confronted staff at the Lenskart store and chanted “Jai Shri Ram” inside the premises. During the interaction, Elahi questioned the floor manager, identified as Mohsin Khan, over the alleged restrictions on Hindu symbols.
In a video, she is heard asking, “Is that why tilak was stopped? Because you are Mohsin Khan?”
Speaking outside the store, she accused the management of promoting one religion over another. “This is a Hindu nation. Lenskart will either be boycotted or all its outlets will be shut unless the owner apologises,” she said.
The situation escalated when Khan called Hindu employees forward and applied tilak on their foreheads, stating there should be “no shame” in expressing religious identity. The employees appeared visibly uncomfortable but did not resist.
Meanwhile, a showroom employee claimed that during company training, staff were told that wearing a tilak and sacred thread (kalawa) was prohibited. He further alleged that female employees, even if married, were not allowed to wear a mangalsutra.
The claims sparked outrage among those present, prompting demands for an explanation from the showroom manager. The Hindu activists termed the issue serious and demanded the immediate closure of the outlet, insisting on a thorough investigation before it is allowed to operate.
Lenskart has found itself at the centre of a storm after allegations surfaced that its internal document permitted employees to wear the hijab while restricting visible religious symbols such as bindis and tilaks.
As the controversy escalated, the company apologised and CEO Peyush Bansal clarified that the policy document in question was “inaccurate” and did not reflect the company’s current guidelines. He said the viral document was an outdated training note and not part of the company’s HR policy, adding that references to bindi and tilak had been removed subsequently.
The company later released a detailed in-store style guide stating that symbols of faith and culture, from bindi and tilak to hijab and turban, are permitted across its outlets.
-PTI
