A model parades swimwear featuring the Hindu god Krishna by Lisa Blue during the Australian Fashion Week spring/summer collections show in Sydney on May 5, 2011.[Photo/Agencies]

LUCKNOW- The Allahabad High Court in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh Tuesday took suo motu cognizance of photographs published in several Indian newspapers, which showed Australian swimsuit label Lisa Blue with one of its models wearing bikini with picture of a Hindu goddess on it.

The High Court decided to take up the matter in the form of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).

A bench comprising Justices Devi Prasad Singh and S. C. Chaurasia directed that the matter be registered as a PIL of criminal nature after the High Court's attention was drawn by three advocates to the controversial photographs.

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The three advocates said that the pictures were intended to insult the religious sentiments of the Hindu community.

The swimsuit, from Byron Bay label Lisa Blue, shows Lakshmi - the goddess of wealth and beauty - on the front and back of the cutaway design. It was worn by a model during a fashion show at the Australian Fashion Week.

Meanwhile, the swimwear label's creator Lisa Burke has already issued an apology on the issue.

"We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously," Burke said regretting on her Facebook page.

"We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of our swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway removed," Burke said issuing a second apology.  

However, the political parties are not happy with a mere apology. The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for an apology from the Australian government.