Surat: A young job seeker, Zeel Soghasia from the city, has raised allegations of religious discrimination against the eyewear retail chain Lenskart, claiming he was dismissed from a training program for refusing to remove his Hindu religious symbols.

This comes amid the recent controversy involving Lenskart after an internal grooming policy of the company was leaked, revealing that Hindu religious symbols such as bindis, tilaks, and kalawa (sacred threads) were not allowed for store employees. The same document allowed the wearing of a black hijab (with restrictions on color and logo visibility) and black turbans.

According to Soghasia, he got a call for a job opportunity and attended an interview in the Vesu area of Surat. He states that during the initial interview process, no mention was made regarding restrictions on religious attire or symbols.

Was dismissed as Lenskart trainee as I refused to remove Tilak and Shikha: Surat Youth https://t.co/13VM5XQA9p pic.twitter.com/4ezZs12Ugs

— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) April 18, 2026

However, the situation changed when Soghasia traveled to Navi Mumbai to begin his professional training. On his second day at the training center, he alleges that management issued an ultimatum regarding his appearance.

Management reportedly told Soghasia he would have to cut his shikha (a traditional tuft of hair) and remove his tilak-chandlo (a religious mark on the forehead) to keep his position. He was also allegedly instructed to remove religious tattoos from his hands.

Soghasia claims he was told explicitly that if he did not remove these religious identifiers, the company would not be able to provide him with the job.

Refusing to compromise on his religious practices, Soghasia was reportedly forced to leave the training center. DeshGujarat