Mumbai’s famous Karachi Bakery in Bandra, which recently hit headlines after angry Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers objected to its “Pakistani” name, has rolled down its shutters due to loss in business.
The Karachi Bakery is part of the famous Hyderabad-based chain, run by Sindhi migrants from Karachi in Pakistan.
However, the MNS claimed credit for the closure of the bakery while its owners refuted and said that the move was decided “after the old lease agreement lapsed” and not due to the renaming controversy.
“We shut shop after the old lease agreement lapsed. Our landlord had been demanding a higher sum as rent which was unviable for us. The lockdown had already caused business volumes to drop,” Rameshwar Waghmare, the bakery’s manager, told a publication.
“There was no reason to capitulate by changing our name. The bakery was a legitimate business with all valid licenses and approvals. Our decision is based on business factors. Let others take credit for it if they wish,” said Waghmare.
Surjitt Sahani
