Fast food giant KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is facing backlash on social media in India for a post on Kashmir shared by KFC Pakistan a year ago.

KFC Pakistan had on February 5, 2021 tweeted a photo with the caption, “We stand together this Kashmir Solidarity Day to realize the right to freedom.” The photo, meanwhile, read “Their cravings for freedom are heartfelt.”

The post resurfaced on Monday and the fast food chain was attacked by many Twitter users, who said the Kashmir issue is a sensitive one and should not be commented upon by parties that have no stake in it, nor any understanding of it.

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At the time of writing this, over 36,000 tweets had gone out with the hashtag #BoycottKFC, which was the number one trend on Twitter in India.

“Never again. Get out of my country,” wrote one user, tagging KFC India.

“What’s wrong @kfc? Kashmir is an integral part of India and shall always remain,” said another, echoing thousands of other similar tweets.

Figures on the right of the political spectrum also used the opportunity to make themselves heard, with figures such as Vivek Agnihotri and Ashoke Pandit decrying KFC Pakistan’s post.

KFC subsequently posted an apology on Twitter, reiterating its “commitment to serving all Indians with pride.”

The backlash against the fast food chain comes mere hours after automaker Hyundai faced a social media backlash in India for a comment on Kashmir.

On February 5 this year, the automaker’s Pakistan division had tweeted, “Let us remember the sacrifices of our Kashmiri brothers and stand in support as they continue to struggle for freedom.”

The tweet sparked outrage among Twitter users in India who took to the micro-blogging platform calling for a boycott of Hyundai vehicles in the country.

Subsequently, Hyundai India put out a statement emphasizing its commitment to India.

Another fast food chain, Pizza Hut, is also facing calls for a boycott in India, for similar reasons. Pizza Hut Pakistan on February 5, put up a post on Instagram writing, “This Kashmir Solidarity day, let’s join hands and stand united for the freedom of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters.”

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Several Indians tweeting about the issue said that posts about “Kashmir Solidarity Day”, observed as a national holiday only in Pakistan on February 5 each year, indicate that big corporate houses are taking sides between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.

“It is a desperate attempt by the Pakistani establishment to bring the Kashmir issue centerstage. It is obvious from the choice of companies, which are all multinationals and involved in businesses with consumer exposure like KFC, Hyundai, Pizza Hut among others,” Amit Malviya, head of BJP‘s IT Cell, told Opoyi.