Shiv Sena refuses to endorse Nitin Nandgaonkar's call to drop 'Karachi' from Mumbai shop's name

The owner of a popular sweetmeat shop in Mumbai’s Bandra -- Karachi Sweets – was forced to drop the word “Karachi” from the signboard because it is the name of a city in Pakistan.

The word “Karachi” on the signboard was concealed by the shop owner after Shiv Sena leader Nitin Nandgaonkar had threatened him. A part of the signboard remains covered with bits of newspaper now.

However, Shiv Sena leader and spokesperson Sanjay Raut has clarified that this is not the official stance of the party. Taking to Twitter on November 18, he said that Karachi bakery and Karachi sweets have nothing to do with Pakistan.

Karachi bakery and karachi sweets have been in mumbai since last 60 years. They have nothing to do with Pakistan . It makes no sense to ask for changing their names now.Demand for changing their name is not shivsena's official stance.

— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) November 19, 2020

The owner of Karachi Sweets, who reportedly does not wish to be named, said: “I don’t want any trouble over this issue. I have consulted my lawyers in the future I may or may not change the name “Karachi” from the signboard.”

However, the shopkeeper has said that Nandgaonkar was polite to him and maintained a calm demeanour while asking him to rename his shop because Karachi is a city “in the land of terrorists”.

A video of Shiv Sena leader Nitin Nandgaonkar threatening the shop owner inside the store and asking him to replace the word “Karachi” with any other word had gone viral, after the political leader himself had shared it on Facebook.

The Shiv Sena leader can be heard saying: “We hate the word Karachi...It is the place of terrorists in Pakistan. So, you need to change this name....our soldiers are dying because of the terrorists and hence this name isn’t acceptable in Mumbai and Maharashtra....you keep your name or your family name but not Karachi...we are giving you time to change it.”