Bajrang Dal members burn ‘Pakistani Food Fest’ banner at Surat restaurant

India: A flex hoarding, announcing the ‘Pakistani food festival,’ was pulled down and burnt by the Hindu right-wing activists. Members of right-wing group Bajrang Dal vandalised the hoarding of a Surat restaurant that was hosting a Pakistani food festival.

A flex banner, advertising the ‘Pakistani food festival,’ was pulled down by the right-wing activists and set on fire, amid chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram,’.

“Bajrang Dal activists took down the flex banner from the building & set it on fire. No such festival will be tolerated. The restaurant has apologized,” South Gujarat Bajrang Dal president Deviprasad Dubey was quoted by India media.

Sandeep Dawar, who owns the restaurant ‘Taste of India,’ said that the eatery will continue to serve Mughlai food, but remove the word ‘Pakistan’ from the cuisine’s name. Dawar had also issued a telephonic apology to the Bajrang Dal members.

“We will not use the word ‘Pakistani’ anymore in the food festival as it hurts the sentiments of some people,” Dawar was quoted as saying by PTI. He added that the cuisine had nothing to do with Pakistan as such.

No police complaint has been lodged in the incident.