Tensions erupt outside Karachi Bakery outlet in Shamshabad over brand name

Hyderabad: Tensions escalated outside Karachi Bakery’s Shamshabad outlet on Sunday, May 11, 2025, as protestors gathered demanding a change in the bakery’s name, citing ongoing border tensions between India and Pakistan.

The protest turned violent when activists from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vandalized the bakery’s nameplate, chanting slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and waving the Indian national flag. Despite the swift arrival of local police, the protestors managed to damage the property before being dispersed by additional forces from the RGIA Hyderabad Airport police station.

The protest follows a wave of similar demonstrations across the country, triggered by a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which claimed the lives of 25 Indians and one Nepali national. In response, the Indian government launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting suspected terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

A similar protest took place on May 6 in Visakhapatnam, where members of the Jana Jagrana Samiti demonstrated outside another Karachi Bakery outlet, demanding the removal of “Karachi” from the brand name. Protestors argued that using the name of a Pakistani city was inappropriate in the current climate.

Addressing the crowd in Visakhapatnam, Vamsi Yadav, a national executive member of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), said, “While Pakistani terrorists kill Indians, it is shameful to promote names linked to Pakistan.” He warned of further action if the name was not changed within 10 days. Also present were SLN Vasu, the Jana Jagrana Samiti’s state convener, and Chintapalli Sunil Kumar, the organization’s city convener.

In response to the protests, Karachi Bakery issued a statement at its Hyderabad outlet, clarifying its origins, “Karachi Bakery was founded by Khanchand Ramnani, who migrated to India during the partition. The brand was established in 1953 and is an Indian company based in Hyderabad, Telangana. The essence of Karachi Bakery is Indian and will remain so.” Indian flags were displayed at the outlet as part of the statement.

The bakery’s management has not commented further since the Shamshabad incident.