India lodges official complaint with Australia over ‘offensive’ lamb advert
An Australian advert depicting the Hindu god Ganesha tucking in to a lamb meal has enraged India.
Ganesha, who is never depicted eating meat, is seen sitting down for a meal with other religious figures in the television advert by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).
The High Commission of India in Canberra has now lodged a protest to three government departments in Australia over the advert, which has infuriated the Hindu community in the country.
It urged MLA to withdraw the clip because many people considered it “offensive and hurting their religious sentiments”.
The high commission said in a statement: ”A number of community associations have also registered their protest with government of Australia and Meat and Livestock Australia.
The advert show Jesus, Buddha and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard talking and eating at a table and references the Prophet Muhammed, who “cannot make it”.
An online petition to ban the advert has pulled in nearly 4,500 signatures, while the Advertising Standards Bureau said it had received more than 30 complaints relating to “a number of faiths”.
The Hindu Council of Australia said it was a “crude and deplorable attempt” to use images of Ganesha to promote lamb consumption.
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However, the MLA defended the advert, saying it had aimed to promote diversity and unity.
Spokesman Andrew Howie said in a statement: ”The campaign features gods, prophets and deities from across a wide range of religions alongside atheism, in a clearly fantastic nature, with the intent of being as inclusive as possible.
“Our intent is never to offend, but rather acknowledge that lamb is a meat consumed by a wide variety of cultures and capture how the world could look if people left their differing views at the door and came to the table with open arms, and minds.”
