India: Hindu Right VHP forces cancellation of fashion show in Visakhapatnam

India Today

VHP forces cancellation of fashion show in Visakhapatnam

The much-publicised Kingfisher Ultra Vizag Fashion Week, organised by liquor major Kingfisher in the coastal Andhra city of Visakhapatnam was cancelled on Sunday following protests from women's organisations and Vishwa Hindu Parishad for allegedly denigrating Indian culture and Hindu gods and goddesses.

According to police, the event which kicked off at Hotel Park on the beach road was cancelled on the third day following a complaint from VHP district unit secretary G Radhakrishna. The leader had alleged that the models who had participated in the ramp walk show on Saturday had the pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses such as Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi on their skimpy clothes.

"We have booked a case against the organisers under Section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs). We are investigating into the complaint," the police official said.

The fashion show, which was held for the first time in Visakhapatnam, was organised by Kingfisher in collaboration with popular fashion designing firm Storm. However, the show had to face stiff resistance from women's organisations like All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) and Progressive Organisation of Women (POW), besides the local left-wing student organisations.

For the last one week, these organisations had been staging protest demonstrations in front of the hotel and also district collector's office, alleging that the fashion show was aimed at projecting women in semi-clad outfits, which would push crime against women in Visakapatnam and other parts of the region. They argued that obscenity would lead to further increase in crime against women.

However, the police did not take any action against the organisers and the fashion show kicked off with a gala function on Friday. About 40 glamorous models drawn from various parts of the country and abroad took part in the fashion extravaganza.

Popular designers - Shravan Kumar and James Ferreira - presented some exceptional designs in a mosaic of fabrics and spring colours from their collections - Elemental Fusion and Resort 2013 - respectively.

On Saturday, British-Indian model and Kingfisher calendar girl Karishma Kotak, who was the brand ambassador of Vizag Fashion week, walked the ramp along with popular Telugu actor Daggubati Rana, followed by a group of models.

However, as the fashion show was telecast live, the VHP activists noticed that some of the models were wearing dresses with pictures of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi on their lower garments. "It was terrible and disgusting. How can those girls wear such skimpy dresses which had the images of Hindu gods and goddesses printed on them? As they were walking on the ramp, their undergarments were also visible. It is a deliberate act by the fashion designers taking advantage of the tolerance among the Hindu community," Thota Venkateshwara Rao, regional vice-president of VHP told Mail Today.

He said he had brought it to the notice of his colleagues in the VHP and they had lodged a complaint with the Visakhapatnam police. "We are glad that the show has been stopped. But it should be an eye-opener for the Hindu community, which has been maintaining silence despite the repeated attack on the Indian culture," Rao said.

Several Tollywood and Bollywood celebrities including Meera Chopra, Tapsee, Deeksha Seth and Lakshmi Manchu were also supposed to walk the ramp on the third day.


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