As tensions escalated between India and Pakistan on Saturday, an outlet of the iconic Karachi Bakery in Hyderabad’s Shamshabad area was vandalised by right-wing protestors, reigniting the recurring controversy over the store’s name.
Karachi Bakery was founded by Sindhi businessman Khanchand Ramnani in 1953 after he migrated from Pakistan’s Karachi to Hyderabad during the Partition of 1947. Since he had to leave his bakery behind, Ramani chose to name his new establishment after his former home to preserve his heritage. It began as a modest retail outlet in Moazzam Jahi Market but quickly became popular for its handmade fruit and Osmania biscuits.
Visuals from the scene showed a group of men striking the bakery’s signboard with sticks while shouting slogans like “Pakistan Murdabad” and “Jai Jawan”, in apparent reference to the military action underway on the border and Operation Sindoor. The incident unfolded just hours before a ceasefire was announced between the two nations.
According to K Balaraju, Inspector of RGI Airport Police Station, “No staff were harmed, and there was no serious damage. Police responded quickly and dispersed the crowd.”
This is not the first time Karachi Bakery — famous for its fruit biscuits and Osmania cookies — has faced backlash due to its name, which references Karachi, a city in Pakistan. Despite being established in India post-Partition, the bakery has regularly been accused by hyper-nationalist groups of showing allegiance to Pakistan.
In a similar incident earlier this month, protestors planted Indian flags at the Banjara Hills branch of the bakery in Hyderabad. Another protest was also held outside a Karachi Bakery outlet in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, where police intervened just in time to prevent damage to the storefront.
In response to the recent acts of vandalism and public outrage, Karachi Bakery’s owners issued a firm statement on Instagram, stating:
“We are proudly Indian. Our name is a part of our history, not a statement on our nationality.”
As India navigates delicate cross-border tensions, the repeated targeting of the bakery has sparked fresh debate about identity, nationalism, and communal harmony in the country.
