South Korean carmaker Hyundai declared its commitment to the Indian market, stating its stands for strong ethos of respecting nationalism, attempting to defuse the huge controversy triggered by a social media handle of its Pakistan unit that posted a message remembering "sacrifices of Kashmiri brothers" on February 5.
Hyundai India is bearing the brunt of a huge backlash online and calls for boycott of its cars in the country, long a significant market.
Pakistan observes February 5 as Kashmir Day.
In its statement on February 6, the company said "Hyundai Motor India has been committed to the Indian market for more than 25 years now and we stand firmly for our ethos of respecting nationalism."
Apart from this, the automotive company said, "The unsolicited social media post linking Hyundai Motor India is offending or unparalleled commitment and service to this great country. India is the second home to the Hyundai brand we have a zero-tolerance policy towards insensitive communication and strongly condemn any such view."
ALSO READ: Hyundai India's total sales dip 11% in January
Adding more, the firm said that as part of their commitment to India, they will continue their efforts towards the betterment of the county as well as its citizens.
Hyundai Pakistan Official (@PakistanHyundai) wrote on February 5, "Let us remember the sacrifices of our Kashmiri brothers and stand in support as they continue to struggle for freedom.” They also added a picture of a boat in Dal lake and the word ‘Kashmir’ juxtaposed with a barbed wire.
Following this, Indian netizens were miffed. But, before lambasting the automaker, they questioned Hyundai India if it endorsed the stand of Hyundai Pakistan. After this, the firm responded by blocking the Indian netizens.
In the meantime, netizens have sought to boycott Hyundai India and several users even reached out to the Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), seeking stringent action against Hyundai Motor India.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
