Eyewear major Lenskart has landed in controversy after social media reports claimed that the company allowed employees to wear hijab but restricted Hindu religious symbols such as bindi and tilak. The allegation quickly went viral online, triggering strong reactions from various groups and escalating the issue into a public debate.
In response to the controversy, Nazia Ilahi, a Muslim BJP leader, along with her supporters, visited a Lenskart showroom in Mumbai. During the visit, she reportedly applied tilak on employees and tied sacred threads on their wrists, while slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” were raised inside the store. The group also questioned the store management over the alleged restrictions on Hindu religious symbols.
BJP Leader Nazia Elahi Khan confronted staff at a Lenskart store in Mumbai over alleged discriminatory grooming policies.
She was seen applying tilak to Hindu staff & raising “Jai Shri Ram” slogans. pic.twitter.com/JRiTFkH1bx
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) April 20, 2026
Protesters confronted the store manager, claiming that employees were instructed during training sessions not to wear tilak or sacred threads, and alleging that married women were even discouraged from wearing mangalsutras. The situation escalated with demands for the immediate closure of the showroom, intensifying tensions at the location.
Following the backlash, Lenskart CEO Peyush Bansal issued a clarification stating that the circulated document was outdated and no longer in effect. He expressed regret over the misunderstanding and clarified that the company’s updated policy permits employees to wear religious symbols of their choice, including bindi, tilak, hijab, and turban.