<p> Indian authorities tore down dozens of billboards Tuesday after a slew of complaints over an advertisement depicting a former porn star promoting condoms ahead of a major Hindu festival.<br /><br />The image of Sunny Leone, a Canadian actress of Indian origin, advertising contraceptives ahead of the religious celebration of Navratri proved too much for some in the western state of Gujarat.<br />The advertisement features no image of a condom, but stoked outrage in conservative India for its slogan "Play with love this Navratri".<br /><br />In a written complaint, the Confederation of All India Traders accused the condom manufacturer behind the risque ad of taking marketing "to an all-time low".<br /><br />"This is an immature attempt to boost sales by putting all our cultural value at stake", the traders group said in a statement.<br /><br />The group took particular umbrage at the link between sex and Navratri, a nine-day Hindu festival of fasting and prayer.<br /><br />Local authorities in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, removed the advertisements as controversy mounted.<br /><br />Leone is brand ambassador for Manforce, India's largest condom manufacturer, and one of its most searched celebrities online.<br /><br />The actress featured in adult films including "Descent into Bondage" and "Costumed Damsels in Distress" before making the transition to Indian cinema, where she has remained a magnet of criticism.<br /><br />Named "Penthouse Pet of the Year" in 2003, Leone has been accused in in India of promoting obscenity and eroding cultural values.<br /><br /></p>
<p> Indian authorities tore down dozens of billboards Tuesday after a slew of complaints over an advertisement depicting a former porn star promoting condoms ahead of a major Hindu festival.<br /><br />The image of Sunny Leone, a Canadian actress of Indian origin, advertising contraceptives ahead of the religious celebration of Navratri proved too much for some in the western state of Gujarat.<br />The advertisement features no image of a condom, but stoked outrage in conservative India for its slogan "Play with love this Navratri".<br /><br />In a written complaint, the Confederation of All India Traders accused the condom manufacturer behind the risque ad of taking marketing "to an all-time low".<br /><br />"This is an immature attempt to boost sales by putting all our cultural value at stake", the traders group said in a statement.<br /><br />The group took particular umbrage at the link between sex and Navratri, a nine-day Hindu festival of fasting and prayer.<br /><br />Local authorities in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, removed the advertisements as controversy mounted.<br /><br />Leone is brand ambassador for Manforce, India's largest condom manufacturer, and one of its most searched celebrities online.<br /><br />The actress featured in adult films including "Descent into Bondage" and "Costumed Damsels in Distress" before making the transition to Indian cinema, where she has remained a magnet of criticism.<br /><br />Named "Penthouse Pet of the Year" in 2003, Leone has been accused in in India of promoting obscenity and eroding cultural values.<br /><br /></p>