Tamannaah Bhatia faces backlash over ₹6.2 crore Mysore Sandal Soap endorsement deal
Bengaluru: Actress Tamannaah Bhatia has been announced as the new brand ambassador for the iconic Mysore Sandal Soap, having signed a deal worth ₹6.2 crore with the Karnataka government. However, the move has sparked sharp criticism from pro-Kannada activists and cultural outfits, who question the choice of a non-Kannadiga to represent a brand deeply rooted in Karnataka’s heritage.
Prominent Kannada filmmaker Kavita Lankesh voiced her discontent, accusing the government of promoting a narrow beauty standard. “Why are we chasing this so-called ‘milky white’ beauty when Karnataka has no dearth of talented and beautiful actors? This is taxpayer money, and we deserve answers,” she said, as quoted in a News18 report.
Roopesh Rajanna, a leader of the Yuva Karnataka Vedike, has threatened to protest in front of the Mysore Sandal Soap factory unless the endorsement is revoked. Karnataka Rakshana Vedike president T Narayana Gowda also denounced the decision, calling it an "insult" to the people of the state.
In response to the uproar, Karnataka Industries Minister M.B. Patil defended the selection, explaining that the state-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) aims to expand its reach beyond Karnataka, and Tamannaah’s pan-India appeal would help achieve that goal.
KSDL officials added that several leading Kannada-origin actresses, including Deepika Padukone, Rashmika Mandanna, and Pooja Hegde, were approached but could not be signed due to existing brand commitments.
Despite government clarifications, the backlash continues, with many urging KSDL to reconsider its decision and choose a brand ambassador who better represents Karnataka’s cultural identity.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
