A restaurant in Cherthala, Kerala, has landed in controversy after using an image of Lord Krishna alongside a non-vegetarian dish in a Vishu greeting poster, drawing sharp criticism from Hindus across the board who called it deeply disrespectful to Hindu sentiments.
The Poster and the Backlash
Meher Mandi & Grills, located at Manorama Junction, Cherthala, released the promotional poster on the occasion of Vishu, the Keralite New Year. The poster featured an image of baby Krishna placed next to a mandi rice and grilled chicken dish, with a Vishu greeting in Malayalam. The image quickly went viral on social media, triggering outrage among Hindus who condemned the restaurant for using a sacred deity as a marketing prop for non-vegetarian food on a religiously significant occasion.
Netizens questioned whether the establishment, whose management appears to be Muslim, led by a person named Mohammed Shameer, would ever produce similar content involving symbols or figures sacred to Islam or Christianity.
The Apology
Following the widespread backlash, Meher Mandi & Grills released a video apology. In the video, a representative of the management stated: "On the occasion of the recent Vishu festival, we had made a small greeting poster. We had that poster designed entirely by an outside person. However, due to his lack of awareness, that poster caused discomfort to our brother communities. This was absolutely not done with our knowledge. Rather, it happened because of his ignorance."
The management claimed that the controversial poster was never shared on any of their official platforms or social media pages, and that it was blocked immediately upon learning of the issue. They replaced it with a different Vishu greeting poster and apologized to those affected.