The 'Chalo Dilli' digital spot, produced by the Indian Youth Congress, was a call to march on November 1. It featured a young man who, while speaking on a phone, covertly followed a group of women, then showcased their images with a promotional caption.
Within hours of posting, the video sparked outrage on social media, with netizens condemning its portrayal of stalking and claiming it violated women's dignity. The party's press office deleted the ad on October 27.
BJP spokesperson Vishnu Vardhan Reddy condemned the ad, calling it a 'cheap attempt to normalise harassment' and urged Congress to uphold women's dignity. He also questioned the party's stance on women's empowerment.
Uday Bhanu Chib, chief of the Indian Youth Congress, initially defended the ad as reflecting Gen Z's thought process, later admitting that it offended some viewers and justifying deletion. He also criticized BJP's credibility by citing Dushyant Gautam's appointment as Sikkim governor.
The controversy coincided with rising concerns over political advertising standards, prompting the Ministry of Communications to issue a draft guideline for political content. Parliament will examine these guidelines in the upcoming session.