Protesters had sought name change
MUMBAI: Bandra’s Karachi Bakery, which was besieged by MNS workers objecting to its “Pakistani” name, rolled down shutters recently. The bakery is part of the Hyderabad-based chain run by Sindhi migrants from Karachi, Pakistan.
In November 2020, Haji Saif Shaikh, vice-president of MNS, had created a furore outside the premises urging the Sindhi shop owner to change the name, which they felt was “anti-national” and “unpatriotic”. On Wednesday, Shaikh posted a tweet saying, “After massive protest for its name, Karachi Bakery finally closes its only shop in Mumbai.”
However, bakery manager, Rameshwar Waghmare, said the closure was not provoked by the renaming controversy. “We shut shop after the old lease agreement lapsed. Our landlord had been demanding a higher sum as rent which was unviable for us. The lockdown had already caused business volumes to drop.” An ice cream parlour has opened in its place.
On Wednesday, Shaikh posted a victorious tweet saying, After massive protest on Karachi Bakery for its name #Karachi led by the Vice President of MNS, karachi bakery finally closes its only shop in Mumbai.
However, the manager of the bakery, Rameshwar Waghmare, said the closure was not provoked by the renaming controversy. We shut shop after the old lease agreement lapsed. Our landlord had been demanding a higher sum as rent which was unviable for us, he said.
He added, The Covid-19 lockdown had already caused business volumes to drop. We did stave off closure for a few months but finally decided to close.