Upset Hindus are urging London headquartered “global online retail clothing company” British Leggings for immediate withdrawal of leggings carrying image of Hindu deity Lord Ganesha; calling it highly inappropriate.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Lord Ganesha was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to adorn one’s legs. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts or symbols for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, also urged British Leggings and its CEO to also offer a formal apology, besides withdrawing its “Ganesha Leggings”.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.1 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled; Rajan Zed noted.

Zed further said that such trivialization of Hindu deities was disturbing to the Hindus world over. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the followers, Zed added.

In Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.

Description of these objectionable “Ganesha Leggings”, priced at £15, included: “These beautiful leggings feature printed Ganesha God on one side of the leg. They are original, very feminine and have an edgy look about them”.

Founded in 2014 by Natalia Rakowska; British Leggings describes its leggings as “fashionable, cool and divine” and “eye-catching”.