Narottam Mishra claimed that the advertisement was ‘highly objectionable and hurtful’.

Fashion label Sabyasachi on Sunday evening withdrew a social media advertisement promoting its new mangalsutra collection hours after Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra warned the brand’s founder Sabyasachi Mukherjee of legal action.

Mangalsutra is one of the wedding ornaments worn by married women in India as a symbol of their marital status.

A series of advertisements for Sabyasachi’s latest collection showed models wearing mangalsutra while posing solo or in intimate positions with others.

In a tweet, Mishra claimed that the advertisement was “highly objectionable and hurtful”. He issued a 24-hour ultimatum to fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee to remove the advertisement or face action.

Mishra said that a mangalsutra is the most important ornament among all others. “We believe that the yellow part of the mangalsutra signifies Goddess Parvati and the black part represents Lord Shiva,” he added.

Sabyasachi brand, best known for its high-end wedding wear, in its Instagram story later announced that it has decided to withdraw the mangalsutra collection advertisement.

“In the context of making heritage and culture a dynamic conversation, the Mangalsutra campaign aimed to talk about inclusivity and empowerment,” the company said. “The campaign was intended as a celebration and we are deeply saddened that it has instead offended a section of our society.”

BJP leaders sends legal notice to Mukherjee

On Thursday, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ashutosh Dubey had sent a legal notice to Mukherjee, asking him to remove the advertisement within 15 days and to issue an apology.

In recent days, there have been several instances of BJP leaders objecting to advertisements claiming they have hurt religious sentiments.