Gandhi, Nehru on US undergarments

PURI: Insensitivity towards foreign cultures and sentiments has plumbed new depths. A US-based online shop has kicked up a storm by printing images of the Tricolour, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru on undergarments.

The Orissa Congress on Saturday condemned the "cheap publicity stunt". "This is stupid on the website's part to malign a world leader like Gandhi and a great national icon like Nehru in such a disgraceful fashion," Opposition leader, J B Patnaik, said, adding, "They should be told through proper channels to stop it. Since the website is US-based, I urge Indians there to lodge strong protests."

Orissa Pradesh Congress President (OPCC) president Jayadev Jena said he would bring the matter to the notice of the Prime Minister and party high command. "This is an atrocious attempt to show India in poor light," Jena said.
This is not the first time that the website has raised heckles in Puri. Priests and Hindu brigades in Puri had erupted in protests against the blasphemous portrayal of gods and goddesses on undergarments.

The US company had later retracted the images. Youth also protested against the derogatory portrayal of Bollywood icons, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, on similar products. Now, it's the turn of freedom fighters to air their grievances against the "offensive attacks on national leaders".