Outrage in Rajya Sabha over fairness cream for private parts

An advertisement for a fairness cream for women's private parts sparked outrage in the Rajya Sabha Tuesday with a CPI-M member raising the issue and the presiding officer saying that the government should take note of her contention.

Raising the issue in zero hour, Communist Party of India-Marxist member T.N. Seema said the advertisement pointed to the manufacturer's "perversion".

"This advertisement shows graphic details of a female body in a demeaning manner. It shows the perversion of the company," she said.

She demanded that the house condemn the advertisement. P.J. Kurien, who was in the chair, supported her contention and said: "I think the government should take note of it."

Seema also sought the intervention of the information and broadcasting ministry and said there should be action against the advertisers as well as the company for "portraying women in a derogatory manner".

She said the All India Democratic Women's Association had already demanded action but nothing had been done.

"Till date no action has been taken. No legal action was pursued against the company," she said, adding that the existing mechanism had proved ineffective.