Passengers in Delhi Metro encounter numerous advertisements throughout each day. Multiple discussions revolve around the creative aspects of advertisements and some even spark outrage in the public.

Ahead of the Valentine’s Day, a poster appealing to celebrate it as “Parents’ Worship Day” appeared inside the Delhi Metro leading to a major disagreement throughout the city. The poster featured Indian spiritual guru Asaram Bapu who is currently serving life imprisonment for raping a 16 year old girl.This led to outrage among the commuters and led to protests on social media.

Various commuters took to social media and petitioned the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to provide an explanation about the controversial advertisement. DMRC released a public statement after public criticism stating that they have initiated the removal process of the advertisements and license holder has received a directive from DMRC to eliminate the displayed advertising from inside all the metros right away and the process of complete removal will take some additional time.

Many commuters expressed disappointment with DMRC authorities when they discovered the provocative advertisement had been approved by the higher authorities.

A lawyer voiced his objection to the incident on X and questioned how can DMRC display a poster of a criminal convicted of rape on the busiest transportation system in the country.

The spiritual leader known as Asaram Bapu who is now 83 faces life imprisonment for his multiple rape crimes. The Jodhpur court handed down a life sentence to Asaram Bapu in April 2018 for raping a child at his religious center in 2013. The same month he received a life imprisonment term at his Motera ashram in Ahmedabad after Gujarat judges found him guilty of sexually assaulting a woman.