Surrey Opera has canceled its upcoming performances of “Lakmé.”

The company confirmed that the performances were canceled at the request of The Minack, which was in turn a response to protests from the Universal Society of Hinduism led by Rajan Zed.

“We do recognize that there are certain outdated references and cultural sensitivities within many of the older theatre and opera productions…It would never be our intention to promote or misrepresent traditions and cultures…I have taken on board your points aimed at Surrey Opera who are hiring our theatre for their production and have withdrawn Lakmé from the programme later this year,” said Rebecca Thomas, Director of Minack Theater, per an official statement to the Universal Society of Hinduism.

In its stead, Surrey Opera will perform “Don Pasquale,” which it presented last year. The Donizetti opera opens in August.

Zed and his organization have been actively protesting any opera company’s attempt to mount “Lakmé” due to the work being “blamed for caricaturing, appearance of mocking of ‘other’ cultures, colonial terminology, degrading and offensive elements, dehumanizing portrayal, essentialism, narratives often failing to represent ‘other’ cultures with dignity and humanity, imperialistic outlook, justifying ideas of superiority, looking down on people and customs, misrepresentation, considerably wrong about the culture it was supposed to be portraying, needless appropriation of cultural motifs, patronizing flawed mishmash of centuries-old orientalist stereotypes, pseudo and unabashed orientalism, reimagining Hindu traditions-practices-deities, shallow exoticism based on prejudice, etc.”

He has also protested plans to mount the ballet “La Bayadère.”