SURAT: An unsavoury dispute erupted in Surat city, famed for its lip-smacking non-vegetarian delicacies, after right-wing groups on Monday targeted a prominent restaurant for organizing a Pakistani Food Festival.
The food festival was called off eventually following protest by members of the Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) over the use of the word ‘Pakistani’ by the restaurant owners.
Members from the two right-wing organisations on Monday pulled down the hoarding announcing the food festival from the terrace of the building complex where the restaurant is located and then set it ablaze in the parking area of the building.
They also submitted a complaint to the Khatodara police demanding action against the restaurant owners.
The hoarding announcing the food festival was put up on the restaurant building complex on Saturday and it went viral on social media on Sunday triggering protest by the Bajrag Dal and VHP members on Monday.
“No one objects to the use of the word Chinese in food items even as the neighbouring country is creating issues for India on the border,” said restaurant owner Sandeep Dawar. “The food festival had nothing to do with religion, it was only to showcase authentic Pakistani food, which is basically a Mughlai preparation,” he added.
However, after the protest, the special food festival menu with dishes like Multani Dhingri, Peshawari Dal, Lahori Fish, Karachi Murgh Karahi to name a few have been taken down.
“Almost all Pakistani dishes are popular in India and routinely available. Ours was an attempt to inform the customers about it,” Dawar told TOI. “If the protesters had just called and told us to remove the hoardings, we would have done that. There was no need for all this,” he added. South Gujarat in-charge of Bajrang Dal Deviprasad Dube said, “If they want to do business in India, they cannot use the name of Pakistan here. We have submitted a written complaint to the police as well.”
Khatodara police station official confirmed receipt of a complaint against the restaurant by the Bajrang Dal. The police official said that there was no complaint against the protestors by the restaurant owner as of now.
