Mumbai's iconic Karachi Bakery in Bandra, which was landed in a controversy owing to its name - 'Karachi', a city in Pakistan, rolled down its shutters recently due to lack of business. The bakery was founded by a Sindhi who migrated to India during the Partition in 1947.Last year in November, Haji Saif Shaikh, vice president of the MNS, had created a furore outside the premises urging the Sindhi shop owner to change the name, which they felt was "anti-national" and "unpatriotic". According to the Times of India, bakery's manager Rameshwar Waghmare said that they have not closed the shop due to threat from the MNS workers, but because of the drop in business and higher rent.
"We shut shop after the old lease agreement lapsed. Our landlord had been demanding a higher sum as rent which was unviable for us," he said. "The Covid-19 lockdown had already caused business volumes to drop. We did stave off closure for a few months but finally decided to close," Waghmare added. However, Shaikh seemed to be taking credit for the closure of the bakery. He had on Wednesday posted a victorious tweet saying, "After massive protest on Karachi Bakery for its name #Karachi led by the Vice President of MNS, karachi bakery finally closes its only shop in Mumbai. "Talking about the future plans for the bakery, the manager said that the owners will take a call on whether to rent a new space or allow the brand to lapse in Mumbai. "There was no reason to capitulate by changing our name. The bakery was a legitimate business with all valid licences and approvals granted by government authorities. Our decision is based on business factors. Let others take credit for it if they wish," he said.