The government on Saturday asked Twitter and YouTube to remove video advertisements of a perfume brand that have triggered outrage and accusations of promoting “gang rape culture”.

In letters to Twitter and YouTube, the information and broadcasting ministry said the videos were “detrimental to the portrayal of women in the interest of decency and morality” and that they violated the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules.

Many social media users have alleged that these advertisements, of the perfume brand Layer’r Shot, seek to promote sexual violence against women.

“It has come to the notice of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting that an inappropriate and derogatory advertisement of a deodorant is circulating on social media. The Ministry has asked Twitter and YouTube to immediately pull down all instances of this advertisement,” a government spokesperson said.

The ministry’s letters to Twitter and YouTube said the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) too had deemed the videos to have violated its guidelines and asked the advertiser to suspend the ads immediately.

“Fuming at cringe-worthy ads of the perfume ‘Shot’. They show toxic masculinity in its worst form and clearly promote gang rape culture!” Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal said.

“The company owners must be held accountable. Have issued notice to Delhi Police and written letter to I&B Minister seeking FIR and strong action.”

The ASCI tweeted: “The ad is in serious breach of the ASCI Code and is against public interest. We have taken immediate action and notified the advertiser to suspend the ad, pending investigation.”

Actors Farhan Akhtar, Richa Chadha and Swara Bhasker criticised the perfume brand for promoting “gang rape culture” with the advertisements.

“What incredibly tasteless and twisted minds it must take to think up, approve and create these stinking body spray ‘gang rape’ innuendo ads!! Shameful,” Akhtar tweeted.

Chadha said both the brand and the agency that came up with the advertisements should be “sued for the filth they’re serving”.

“This ad is not an accident. To make an ad, a brand goes through several layers of decision making. Creatives, script, agency, client, casting... does everyone think rape is a joke? Revelatory!” she tweeted.

Bhasker said she found the ads “beyond disgusting”.

“A teenage girl was gang raped in Hyderabad — such incidents happen daily in India... companies like @layerr_shot choose to make TV adverts joking abt & ‘cool-ifying’ rape & gangrape. Beyond disgusting! Not just tone deaf, also criminal! Absolutely shameful! What agency created it?”