Amid escalating controversy over holding a fashion show in Gulmarg during Ramadan, designers Shivan and Narresh on Monday apologised saying that they regret any hurt caused by it. In a post on X, the brand said, "We deeply regret any hurt caused by our recent presentation in Gulmarg during the holy month of Ramadan. Our sole intention was to celebrate creativity and the ski & après-ski lifestyle, without any desire to offend anyone or any religious sentiments."
They further added, "Respect for all cultures and traditions is at our heart, and we acknowledge the concerns raised. We sincerely apologize for any unintended discomfort and appreciate the feedback from our community. We remain committed to being more mindful and respectful."
Notably, the event was held on March 7, where the designers presented their ski & après-ski lifestyle collection. The models adorning the collection walked on snow which grabbed the attention and was criticised by a section of leaders in the UT for its tming.
During the Question Hour on the first day of the JK Assembly Budget Session today, demands of probe were made. Reacting to it, J&K CM Omar Abdullah clarified that no permission was taken from the government and no public money was used in organising the event. He said that if anything illegal had happened, action would be taken against the organisers.
He said, "A private party was organised, a fashion show was organized there ... from what I saw, it should not have been organised at any time of the year, let alone the month of Ramzan. It was a private party and there was no government involvement, no permission was taken from us. Instructions have been given that if anything against the law has happened then action should be taken. If necessary, it should be handed over to the police, the police will investigate it."