Succumbing to the rising pressure from Indian social media, KFC India, on Monday, tendered an apology over a Kashmir solidarity post from its Pakistan-based franchise on 5 February (Kashmir Day).
“We deeply apologize for a post that was published on some KFC social media channels outside the country. We honor and respect India, and remain steadfast in our commitment to serving all Indians with pride,” KFC India said on its official Twitter account.
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.
— KFC India (@KFC_India) February 7, 2022
Meanwhile, a statement from Pizza Hut read, “It [Pizza Hut] does not condone, support, or agree with the contents of a post circulating in social media. We remain steadfast in our commitment to serving all our brothers and sisters with pride.”
Kashmir solidarity messages posted by various international outlets irked social media users in India. Hyundai Pakistan was the first to post a message in solidarity for innocent Kashmiris against the Indian atrocities.
Following the post, #BoycottHyundai trended on Twitter in India with many users asking people to stop buying the company’s products in the country.
On Sunday, Hyundai Motors India put out a message on social media reiterating its commitment to the Indian market.
The next day, KFC Pakistan’s Facebook post on Kashmir got dragged into controversy.
“You never left our thoughts and we hope that the coming years bring peace to you!” read the Facebook post, which was later taken down.
The image had ‘KASHMIR BELONGS TO THE KASHMIRIS’ written in bright red letters.
Similarly, an Instagram post from the verified account of ‘Pizzahutpak’ had stated, “We stand with you. Kashmir Solidarity Day.”
Both social media posts were taken down after #BoycottKFC and #BoycottPizzaHut started trending on Twitter.
