Urban Outfitters pulls down duvet cover after Hindus protest

Urban Outfitters (UO), a publicly traded retail company selling home goods, headquartered in Philadelphia has removed Lord Ganesha duvet cover from its website after Hindus protested calling it inappropriate.According to a release from Hindu statesman Rajan Zed (pictured), who spearheaded the protest, Lord Ganesha Duvet Cover, an "online only" item, did not show up after search on UO website.In a statement in Nevada (USA), Zed thanked UO for understanding the concerns of Hindu community, which thought Lord Ganesha’s image on duvet cover was highly inappropriate and trivialised the highly revered Hindu deity.In a statement issued today Urban Outfitters confirmed that the item was pulled from stores. As seen here, the statement read: "It was never the intention for this item nor any of the items we carry that feature illustrations of Lord Ganesha to offend our customers,” the company said in a statement. “We are supporters of Valentina Ramos’s unique and uplifting illustrations and this item, to us, was another example of her beautiful work. Though Lord Ganesha merchandise is popular within the market we understand the sensitivities certain items may carry.”UO has not responded to queries by Marketing at the time of writing.This is not the first time the company has offended a group of consumers. UO first sold socks carrying Lord Ganesha’s image, which were removed in December last year. According to Zed, it was “sad that it took UO 12 days to act after they were informed.”Zed urged suggested UO and other corporations worldwide to send their senior executives for training in religious and cultural sensitivity so that they had an understanding of the feelings of customers and communities when creating new products or launching ad campaigns.Read Also: Did American Apparel go too far with this ad?What happens to American Apparel after Dov Charney’s ousting?The duvet cover which Hindu devotees were finding objectionable was priced at $129.00-$169.00 on the UO website, which described it as “UO Exclusive” and “topped with a standout illustration by the talented Valentina Ramos”.