After a shop owner of a 'Karachi Sweets' shop in suburban Bandra was forced to cover the word 'Karachi' on the hoarding of the shop with paper following the demand by a Shiv Sena leader, Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut came out with the clarification that it was not the party's official stance.
In a video that has now gone viral, Sena leader Nitin Nandgaokar is heard asking the owner to rename the shop after his father or grandfather, contending that Karachi is in Pakistan, which is a "country of terrorists". "Don't use the name Karachi in Mumbai...humein Karachi naam se takleef hai (we have objection to the name Karachi). Our jawan (died) on Bhai Dooj. Pakistan is a country of terrorists," the Sena leader is heard saying.
Nandgaonkar had said he "will give the shop owner time to rename the shop."
News agency ANI reported the Karachi Sweets outlet in Bandra West had covered the word 'Karachi' with newspapers.
Taking to Twitter, Raut said Karachi sweets have been in Mumbai for the past 60 years and they have nothing to do with Pakistan. Pointing out that it makes no sense to ask for the name to be changed, Raut said this was not Shiv Sena's official stance.
The Aam Aadmi Party had, in a statement, hit out at the Shiv Sena over its worker "threatening" the shop owner, and asked Mumbai police to take cognisance, saying this the last thing the city needs during a pandemic.
(With PTI inputs)