[REVISION HISTORY]

Kriti Sanon ad controversy expands to political and singer

Updated 5 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-28 01:12 UTC → 2026-08-28 10:15 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The controversy surrounding Kriti Sanon’s Raksha Bandhan advertisement for GIVA has escalated into a broader political and cultural debate. Following initial criticism from actor-politician Kangana Ranaut, who described the Indo-Western attire as “intentionally creepy,” the discourse expanded to include national political figures. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi entered the debate in support of Sanon, asserting that a woman’s choice of clothing is her own. He urged the public to cease trolling women for exercising their freedom, utilizing the hashtag #SmashThePatriarchy. Ranaut subsequently used social media to counter Gandhi’s stance. Sanon has maintained her position that “Culture & Traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline,” emphasizing that the essence of festivals is found in emotions rather than fashion. She also clarified that she and her sister include their pets in celebrations as family members, a creative choice in the ad that some viewers felt trivialized the ritual. Adding to the cultural critique, Madhu Chopra, mother of Priyanka Chopra, commented that while personal choice is valid, there should be “boundaries and limitations” to respect cultural values and dignity. In response to the significant social media backlash, the jewelry brand GIVA has officially withdrawn the advertisement from all media platforms. The brand issued a statement expressing respect for Indian traditions, noting that while they intended to celebrate the festival by including pets as family, they “had not intended to hurt any sentiments.” Amidst the ongoing debate, singer Sonu Nigam issued a clarification via Instagram to address misinformation. He denied a viral post on X (formerly Twitter) attributed to him regarding the controversy and Hindu traditions, stating, “This is not me and This has never been me,” and noting that he does not maintain an account on the platform.

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