'No restrictions on religious expression': Lenskart's Peyush Bansal reacts amid grooming policy row

A social media storm erupted around Lenskart after a purported excerpt from its employee style guide went viral, claiming restrictions on certain Hindu religious symbols such as bindi, tilak and kalawa while allowing other forms of expression. The controversy triggered sharp reactions online, prompting founder Peyush Bansal to issue a clarification.

The row gained traction after Writer Shefali Vaidya, who has a large following on X, shared the screenshot, alleging that the company’s internal grooming guidelines treated religious symbols unequally.

The claim quickly snowballed into a wider debate, with several users criticising what they described as “double standards” and calling for accountability. Some social media users even threatened to boycott the brand, arguing that any perceived restriction on religious expression could alienate a large section of consumers.

Amid the backlash, Bansal addressed the issue directly through a post on X, stressing that the viral document was not representative of the company’s current stance.

“I’ve been seeing an inaccurate policy document going viral about Lenskart. I want to speak directly that this document does not reflect our present guidelines,” he wrote.

He added, “our policy has no restrictions on any form of religious expression, including bindi and tilak, and we continue to review our guidelines regularly.”

Bansal said that the company’s grooming policy has evolved over time and said older versions should not be interpreted as current practice. “Our grooming policy has evolved over the years and outdated versions do not represent who we are today,” he said.

However, social media users pushed back against the clarification, questioning the company’s explanation and seeking greater transparency.

A community note on X, which cited what appeared to be an official company document, said the Lenskart Style Guide, barred “religious tilak and bindi,” kalawa threads and visible sindoor, while permitting items such as hijabs and turbans.

The note also pointed out that no updated version of the policy document has been publicly released by Lenskart.

Responding to Bansal’s statement on X, Vaidya wrote, “the explanation makes NO sense. Please point out why the document I have shared is ‘inaccurate’. It is from February 2026. And if it does not reflect your ‘current guidelines’ as you say, please share the current guidelines.”