A Karachi Bakery outlet in Hyderabad’s Shamshabad was vandalised by a group of local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters on Saturday, May 10. The incident occurred just a day after India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire pact following days of cross-border attacks. The vandals, wearing saffron scarves and carrying the Indian flag, hit the bakery’s signboard displaying the word ‘Karachi’ with sticks while shouting slogans of ‘Pakistan Murdabad’ and ‘Jai Jawan’.

The police have registered an FIR under Section 126 (wrongful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other sections pertaining to damage to property. The bakery, founded in 1953 by a Sindhi Hindu man named Khanchand Ramnani, has often been targeted for being named after the city in Pakistan whenever tensions between the two countries escalate. The owners, Rajesh and Harish Ramnani, recently appealed to the Telangana Chief Minister and Director General of Police for support and guidance.

The incident has sparked controversy, with the bakery’s owners stating, “We are proudly Indian. Our name is part of our history, not our nationality.” The police have assured that nobody was injured in the incident and are investigating the matter further.