Hyderabad: Tensions flared in Shamshabad on Sunday as BJP workers gathered outside the popular Karachi Bakery, calling for the word “Karachi” to be scrubbed from its name.
What started as loud sloganeering quickly turned chaotic. Protesters pulled at the bakery’s signage, some reportedly defacing parts of the storefront while chanting anti-Pakistan slogans. Many held up signs saying the name was “anti-national” and had no place in modern India.
Eyewitnesses described a short burst of confusion before police arrived. Officers stepped in, spoke to the organisers, and eventually got the crowd to clear out. No one was hurt, and there were no arrests, though officials confirmed some minor damage to the shop’s exterior.
The bakery, a fixture in Hyderabad for decades, has seen this kind of backlash before. The owners have explained, time and again, that the name “Karachi” honours the founders’ hometown. They were Sindhi migrants who came to India during Partition, and the name reflects personal history, not politics.
Authorities say they’ll look into the concerns raised, but for now, the bakery remains open – and still called Karachi Bakery.
This dust-up is the latest in a string of culture-clash moments tied to recent diplomatic moves between India and Pakistan. It seems that, in today’s climate, even a decades-old bakery can become a political flashpoint.