Lenskart’s viral style guide row: Bindi, tilak banned but hijab allowed? Peyush Bansal responds
Peyush Bansal rejected allegations that Lenkart allowed employees to wear headscarves and turbans but restricted symbols such as bindi, tilak or kalawa. The controversy arose when a document titled “Lenskart Staff Uniform and Care Guide” began circulating online yesterday, sparking debate over allegations of religious discrimination.
Responding to the allegations, Bansal made a statement rejecting the comment that the policy was “wrong” and claimed that the eyewear company did not impose such restrictions.
“This document does not reflect our current guidelines. Our policy has no restrictions on any form of religious expression, including bindi and tilak, and we continue to review our guidelines regularly,” X said in a post on Thursday. He apologized for the confusion and concern the situation had caused, implying that the company’s policy had evolved over the years and that “outdated versions do not represent who we (Lenskart) are today.”
What the alleged Lenskart style guide says
The style guide, allegedly published by Lenskart, states that store employees are allowed to wear black headscarves (worn by many Muslim women) during their shifts. Staff are also allowed to wear black headscarves.
However, it was revealed that other religious symbols were also banned in the same document, stating that “religious tikka/tilak and Bindi/Taktar are not allowed”. While the bindi is traditionally worn by many Hindu women, the tilak is often worn by both Hindu men and women as a sign of religious or cultural identity.
The alleged guide quickly went viral and attracted widespread criticism from netizens who claimed that such restrictions led to religious bias.
Meanwhile, Bansal said that the document currently in circulation is an outdated internal training document and is not an HR policy. “It contained an inaccurate line about bindi/tilak that should never have been written and did not reflect our values or actual practice. When we discovered this on February 17, well before this became a public conversation, we immediately removed it,” the detailed statement said.
Netizens reacted to Bansal’s statement
Even after Bansal made the statement, X users continued to criticize Lenskart and its founder, claiming that the document circulating on the internet was published in February 2026.
“This statement makes no sense. Please state why the document I shared is ‘wrong’. It is from February 2026. And if it does not reflect your ‘current guidelines’ as you say, please share updated guidelines. Also, even if it is an old document as you say, why was religious asymmetry not an issue then? (sic)” X user Shefali Vaidya asked.
Another user said, “You made a statement, but the question is still unanswered.” “..we continue to review our guidelines regularly. Our maintenance policy has evolved over the years…” The question is why such a restriction exists even in older versions? (Exactly)”
