Hyderabad Bakery Chain Faces Renewed Demands for Name Change Amid Rising Tensions
Hyderabad, May 11 – A group of protesters gathered outside a Karachi Bakery outlet in Hyderabad’s Shamshabad area on Saturday, demanding a change in the bakery’s name due to its perceived association with Pakistan. According to police, the group of 10 to 15 people arrived waving the Indian tricolour and wearing saffron scarves, shouting anti-Pakistan slogans and attempting to damage the bakery’s nameboard using sticks.Police intervened promptly and dispersed the demonstrators. A video of the incident circulated on social media showed the nameboard partially covered with cloth following the attempted vandalism.
"A protest was held by 10–15 individuals on Saturday afternoon, demanding that Karachi Bakery change its name," an official from the RGI Airport police station confirmed. A formal complaint has been filed against the group for obstructing customers and staging the demonstration in front of the bakery.
Promoters Emphasize Indian Roots
In response to the protest, the promoters of Karachi Bakery reiterated that they are a “100 per cent Indian brand.” The bakery was founded in Hyderabad in 1953 by Khanchand Ramnani, who migrated to India from Pakistan during the Partition. His grandsons, Rajesh Ramnani and Harish Ramnani, now manage the popular chain.Amid increasing calls for a name change, the Ramnani family appealed to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, the Director General of Police (DGP), and law enforcement to safeguard the bakery's brand identity and ensure that no forced name change takes place.
Similar Protests in Other Cities
The incident in Hyderabad follows a similar protest held in Visakhapatnam last week, where demonstrators made identical demands regarding the bakery’s name. On May 7, Hyderabad police had already deployed personnel near another outlet of Karachi Bakery as a precaution, after a right-wing leader threatened on social media to forcibly change the name.To affirm their patriotic identity, Karachi Bakery outlets in the city had earlier displayed the Indian national flag above their nameboards.
The police are continuing to monitor the situation closely and have assured that preventive measures are in place to maintain peace and order.
