A fund-raiser for AIDS organised in Canada's largest city has snowballed into a controversy after the South Asian community alleged "misrepresentation" of Hindu deities in the event's marketing material.

"Two cultures collide for one great cause" was the tagline to promote the East meets West theme at Fashion Cares 19th fund-raising annual gala organised by the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT).

But the event turned into a collision course after several South Asian community organisations protested the "misrepresentation" of Hindu deities.

"ACT knowingly committed this offence and now expects the community to be satisfied with a simple apology and dismiss the issue," Tushar Unadkat of New Indian Dimension of Entertainment and Arts (Nouveau IDEA) told IANS.

He said several offensive flyers and postcards were made available at the venue. Some of the advertising material including the one at the centre of the controversy - a sexualised and exotic woman seated in a goddess pose - is still floating online, he said.

According to the ACT, the theme was originally chosen as a way to explore the interaction of two cinematic genres - Bollywood and Hollywood westerns.

In a press statement, ACT apologised for "not consulting more broadly when ideas were originally being developed for the Fashion Cares theme".

The organisation said it was committed to continuing "our broad-based consultations with different ethno-cultural and other stakeholder communities to inform our HIV prevention and support activities".

About 5,000 guests including celebrities attended the $350 per person event June 4. Canadian actress Pamela Anderson hosted this year's event.

Unadkat said: "This is a major and deliberate act that warrants more than just a simple apology."

Though ACT agreed to withdraw the provocative material, it had failed to do so, neglecting the sensitivity of the issue, according to the protesters. 

The Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP), the first organisation to speak up against the event, said lack of consultations at the organisational level with community groups led to the turn of events.

"We believe that it is critical to actively work with and within the ethno-racial communities that are featured at such events," a statement from the organisation said.

"The solution to this insensitive behaviour is for ACT to organise a mainstream significant event in which Hindu religious leaders and educators can spread awareness about Hindu deities to avoid such callous treatment of our faith in future," Unadkat suggested.

Recognised internationally as one of the leading charity benefits, Fashion Cares has raised $8 million for the cause in the past 19 years. It raised more than $1 million this year alone.