KitKat chocolate bars with images of Hindu gods on the wrappers have been blasted on social media with Nestle stating that they have been withdrawn.
People in India have said it was offensive to have the pictures of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Mata Subhadra on the covers of the bars which will end up being thrown away.
Hindu’s complained at the idea of having images of these gods lying in dustbins or in the street.
“This pic of Bhagwan (lord) Jagannath will end up on the road or trash cans. People will walk on it. Why are pics of Hindu Gods/Goddesses used for marketing?" tweeted one person.
Another wrote: "Please remove the Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Mata Subhadra photos in your @kitkat chocolate cover. When people are finished the chocolate they are through the cover on road, drain, dustbin, etc. So please remove the photos."
Similar comments included: "Nestle kindly remove pics of our God's from your wrapper KitKat... Till that time we Indians stand united in terms of not consuming any of your products.. Kindly learn from your mistakes and don't repeat such acts again."
Nestle India have said that they have already withdrawn the wrappers which were introduced as a part of the travel break packs to celebrate local destinations.
The wrappers with images of Hindu gods were to highlight the Odisha culture.
Nestle India tweeted: "KitKat travel break packs are meant to celebrate beautiful local destinations & last year we wanted to celebrate the culture of Odisha with designs on packs representing 'Pattachitra’, an art form uniquely identifiable by its vivid imagery.
"The visual was inspired by the government tourism website. We wanted to encourage people to know about the art & its artisans. Our past campaigns have also shown that consumers like to collect & keep such beautiful designs.
"We do understand the sensitivity of the matter and regret if we have inadvertently hurt anyone’s sentiment. With immediate action we had already initiated withdrawal of these packs from the market. We thank you for your understanding and support."
Nestle has been approached for comment.
