'Boycott Cadbury' trends on Twitter over 'beef', 'PM Modi' links

Chandigarh, October 30

After a month of being released as part of a brand advertisement on Diwali, ‘Boycott Cadbury’ started trending on Twitter on Sunday for more reasons than one.

While some brought back the old fake claims of beef being used in the confectionary company’s chocolates and the products being ‘halal certified’, others objected to the advertisement for having a link with PM Modi.

The boycott trend started with the controversial tweet of VHP leader Prachi Sadhvi. She claimed that the video advertisement purportedly showed PM Narendra Modi’s father, Damodardas Modi, in a poor light.

She tweeted, “Have you carefully observed Cadbury chocolate’s advertisement on TV channels? The poor shopless lamp seller is Damodar. This is done to show someone with PM Narendra Modi’s father’s name in poor light. Chaiwale ka baap diyewala. Shame on Cadbury Company.”

In the advertisement, a man playing a doctor approaches an old ‘diya’ seller. The old man asks if the doctor needs something to which he says that he wishes to give the diya seller a Diwali gift.

The doctor offers him a pack of ‘Cadbury Celebrations’ and the old man’s face lights up with happiness. He even shares how the seller could take his ‘diya shop’ online by scanning the QR code on the box of chocolates.

While bidding him adieu, the doctor addresses the old man as ‘Damodar’. This led to Cadbury drawing flak on social media.

Some users believed that it was intentional on the part of the brand while others didn’t find anything disturbing that could hurt someone’s sentiments.