NEW DELHI: : A number of global brands like South Korea's Hyundai Motors, KFC, Dominos and Toyota have come under fire over tweets and Instagram/Facebook posts sent out by their dealers and outlets in Pakistan, talking about "Kashmir Solidarity Day".
Every year, Pakistan marks February 5 as "Kashmir Solidarity Day". This year, several Pakistan-based social media entities connected to some of the world’s biggest corporate names, including several American fast-food chains and South Korea’s Hyundai, used the occasion to proclaim their own messages of support.
So, how did this row start?
The row first erupted on Sunday when Twitter users in India were enraged over a tweet posted by the 'Hyundai Pakistan Official' handle in support of "Kashmir Solidarity Day". Shortly after the tweet by Hyundai Pakistan, thousands took to Twitter calling for a boycott. Soon, other popular brands like KFC, Pizza Hut, Domion's, Kia, Suzuki and iSuzu also faced a backlash for similar messages posted in Pakistan.
Hashtags such as #BoycottKiaMotors, #BoycottKFC, #HyundaiWithTerrorists started trending on Twitter amid a surge in nationalistic sentiments in favour of local Indian brands such as Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra. Some users also dug up old tweets on Kashmir posted by the Pakistani handles of these brands.
While these posts were later deleted, the damage was already done.
Damage control
Concerned over the backlash which started on Sunday, Hyundai India was quick to come out with a statement which said the following:
Hyundai Motor India is the second-largest carmaker in the country after Maruti Suzuki India. It currently sells 12 models, including Creta and Venue, in the domestic market. In December last year, the automaker announced plans to invest around Rs 4,000 crore to drive in around six electric vehicles in India by 2028.
The Twitter handle of Suzuki Motorcycle India posted a similar apology. On Monday, Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) chain KFC apologised over its post from its Pakistan-based franchise supporting separatists in Kashmir. Similarly, Pizza Hut also issued a statement saying “it does not condone, support or agree with the contents of a post circulating in social media” after facing backlash over an Instagram post on Kashmir by its official handle in Pakistan.
In a separate statement, auto major Toyota stated that it is a global mobility company that aims to earn the respect and admiration from people in each community in which it operates.
“We are an apolitical entity, and any political statements made by dealers or other associated stakeholders are not authorised by us and do not reflect our corporate stance. We regret any hurt this may have caused,” the company said in a statement posted on social media.
The company works tirelessly to comply with the laws and regulations of the countries in which it operates, it added.
Diplomatic row
The issue then became diplomatic as the government took note of the posts on Twitter. On Monday, India summoned the South Korean ambassador to express its “strong displeasure" over “an unacceptable social media post”.
The ambassador was bluntly told that there could be no compromise on the matter that relates to the country's territorial integrity. The Indian ambassador in Seoul also contacted the Hyundai headquarters, seeking an explanation.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi further said India welcomes investments by foreign companies in various sectors. "But, it is also expected that such companies or their affiliates will refrain from false and misleading comments on matters of sovereignty and territorial integrity."
The South Korean foreign minister, Chung Eui-yong, on Tuesday dialled his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar to say that he “regretted the offence caused to the people of India”.
The issue was brought up in the Rajya Sabha too where Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the government has asked Hyundai Motors to be more forceful in its unequivocal apology.
“This issue has been taken up both with the government there and the company concerned,” Goyal said. “They (Hyundai) have already issued a clarification yesterday. We have also asked them to be more forceful in their unequivocal apology on this issue.”
Will it impact their India sales?
Unlikely. Brand experts believe such incidents do not normally have any serious long-term impact on sales and will likely blow over soon.
