On Monday (December 14), Bajrang Dal workers tore down a contentious banner endorsing a ‘Pakistani food festival’ in Surat city of Gujarat.
As per reports, the 10-day food festival was organised by a chain of restaurants called ‘Taste of India’ between December 12 and December 22. A hoarding, to the effect, was put up near the old sub-jail on Ring Road in the city of Surat. On learning about the banner from social media, Bajrang Dal members reached the spot, took it down and set the banner on fire.
The Hindu rights group also dialled the restaurant owner, identified as Sandeep Dawer, to inquire about the matter. He issued an apology for naming the food festival after Pakistan and replaced it with ‘seafood festival.’ While speaking about the matter, Bajrang Dal leader (Surat) Deviprasad Dubey informed, “We got to know about the hoarding from social media following which we took permission from the South Gujarat Convenor Dinesh Navadiya.”
Bajrang Dal activists took down the flex banner from the building & set it on fire. No such festival will be tolerated. The restaurant has apologized: South Gujarat Bajrang Dal president Deviprasad Dubey (13.12) pic.twitter.com/dDc0zHKMHm
— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2021
He further added, “Later, we went to the spot and brought down the hoarding. We also called Dawer, the owner, and asked him why he has organised such a food festival. He apologised.”
Meanwhile, the restaurant owner Sandeep Dawer had accepted his mistake and vowed to not use the word Pakistani as it hurt the sentiments of people. While speaking about the matter, he added, “When we were using that word we felt that some people might not like it, but we did not know it would turn out like this…We are just serving cuisine which has nothing to do with Pakistan as such. The second name of Mughlai cuisine is Pakistani food.”
He added that no Pakistani cuisine chef was invited to the food festival. Dawer added that the menu was prepared by the restaurant staff through online videos. The Bajrang Dal members did not register a police complaint against the accused restaurant. Deviprasad Dubey clarified that he had been waiting for instructions from leaders and will act on their directives.
