Protest held outside Karachi Bakery in Hyderabad demanding name change
Hyderabad, May 11 (PTI): A group of people held a protest in front of a Karachi Bakery outlet here, demanding that the name be changed, police said on Sunday.
Around 10-15 members, holding the tricolour and wearing saffron scarves, gathered in front of the Karachi Bakery store at Shamshabad on Saturday afternoon and raised "anti-Pakistan slogans".
The protesters then allegedly tried to damage the outlet's nameboard by hitting it with sticks. They were subsequently dispersed by the police.
In a video circulated on social media on Sunday, the nameboard was seen partially covered with a cloth.
"The protest was held by 10-15 people on Saturday afternoon, demanding that Karachi Bakery change its name," a police official at the RGI Airport police station said.
A complaint was lodged against the protesters, accusing them of obstructing customers by staging the protest in front of the outlet, he added.
The promoters of the city-based bakery chain had earlier clarified that they are a "100 per cent Indian brand", after certain groups demanded a name change, citing its association with a city in Pakistan.
A protest was also held last week in Visakhapatnam, with similar demands to change Karachi Bakery’s name amid conflicts between India and the neighbouring country.
Police personnel were deployed near one of the bakery’s branches in Hyderabad on May 7 as a preventive measure, after a leader of a right-wing organisation posted a video on social media demanding the name be changed, or else they would do it themselves.
Karachi Bakery promoters Rajesh Ramnani and Harish Ramnani said the brand was established in Hyderabad in 1953 by their grandfather Khanchand Ramnani, who migrated to India from Pakistan during partition.
They also appealed to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, the DGP, and the police to help them retain Karachi Bakery’s brand identity and prevent any forced name change.
Earlier, the tricolour was also displayed above the nameboards of their outlets in the city.
Men calling themselves nationalists vandalising an Indian owned Karachi bakery in Hyderabad.
— Anusha Ravi Sood (@anusharavi10) May 11, 2025
It's a 6-decade old Indian brand founded by founded by Khanchand Ramnani.
Poor Karachi bakery that has nothing to do with Pakistan becomes the victim of idiocy every single time. pic.twitter.com/XDkmtMnkgp
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Chirag Paswan reportedly demands 36 seats, BJP offers 22 amid seat-sharing talks
Bihar elections 2025
Patna: As the countdown to the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections officially begins with the notification for the first phase issued on Friday, political maneuvering has intensified within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The spotlight is currently on Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader and Union Minister Chirag Paswan, who is demanding 36 seats, even as the BJP has so far offered only 22, The New Indian Express quoted its sources as saying.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar convened a meeting of senior JD(U) leaders at his official residence, 1 Anne Marg, to finalise the list of candidates. Meanwhile, LJP chief Paswan called an emergency meeting of his party’s core team at the state office to discuss seat distribution and election preparedness.
While Paswan is reportedly pressing for 36 seats, the BJP is hesitant to concede beyond 22. A final decision is expected only after the LJP's central parliamentary board convenes in the national capital.
The JD(U), on its part, is reportedly firm on retaining constituencies held by its sitting MLAs. Chirag Paswan’s party reportedly wants to contest seats like Manhar in Vaishali, Matihani in Begusarai, and Chakai in Jamui, which are presently represented by JD(U) legislators.
On the opposition front, Congress, a major ally of the opposition INDIA bloc, has moved ahead with candidate selection, clearing 25 names for seats largely seen as traditional party bastions. The list was finalised during a meeting of the party’s Central Election Committee held in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Bihar will vote in two phases, on November 6 and 11, to elect a new Assembly, with counting on November 14.
