Fast food chain KFC has been dragged into a controversy after its Pakistan handle allegedly uploaded a post on Facebook showing ‘solidarity’ with Kashmir.
The now-deleted post led to a huge backlash in India, with netizens demanding an apology from the company as #BoycottKFC began to trend on Twitter.
The post read: ‘You never left our thoughts and we hope that the coming years bring peace to you!”. The tweet also ha an image with ‘KASHMIR BELONGS TO THE KASHMIRIS’ written in bold.
KFC India issued an apology on Monday evening, saying ‘We deeply apologize for a post that was published on some KFC social media channels outside the country. We honour and respect India, and remain steadfast in our commitment to serving all Indians with pride.’
Pizza Hut have also come under heavy scrutiny for sharing an Instagram post that read ‘This Kashmir Solidarity day, let’s join hands and stand united for the freedom of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters.’
KFC and Pizza Hut are not the only companies that found themselves in hot waters due to their social media posts on Kashmir. South Korean carmaker Hyundai had to issue a clarification on Sunday after its Pakistan handle put up a similar post remembering ‘sacrifices of Kashmiri brothers’ on the 5th February, celebrated as ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ in Pakistan.
The controversial tweet was shared on Twitter by Kia Motors Crossroads in Hyderabad. Many peeved Twitter users suggested buying ‘Made in India’ vehicles such as Tata, Mahindra, and Honda over their Hyundai and Kia counteparts.
After a huge backlash online and calls for boycott of its cars in the country, Hyundai, also the parent company of Kia Motors, issued a clarification.
In its statement on February 6, the company said ‘Hyundai Motor India has been committed to the Indian market for more than 25 years now and we stand firmly for our ethos of respecting nationalism.’
The statement added ‘The unsolicited social media post linking Hyundai Motor India is offending or unparalleled commitment and service to this great country. India is the second home to the Hyundai brand we have a zero-tolerance policy towards insensitive communication and strongly condemn any such view.’
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