The National Commission of Scheduled Castes has asked for details about the action taken against an advertisement film by Zomato Ltd. that was deemed derogatory towards the Dalit community.
The food delivery company Zomato had to withdraw the commercial and issue an apology for allegedly showing a person of a so-called lower caste in a derogatory manner. The commission has written a letter to Zomato’s founder and CEO, the resident grievance office of YouTube in India, and Delhi’s Commissioner of Police, seeking details of the action taken. They have requested information such as the nature of the crime, the victim’s name and address, the FIR date, charges filed, and compensation provided to the victim. If the details are not provided within the specified timeframe, the commission has stated that it will issue summons using its powers as a civil court.
Zomato’s advertisement played on World Environment Day, depicted the character Kachra from the movie “Lagaan” as recycled waste items, which drew criticism for associating a Dalit character with the term “kachra” (garbage). The company stated that it intended to raise awareness about plastic waste and recycling but apologised as it unintentionally offended certain communities and individuals.