Pakistanis express love for Hyderabad’s Bombay Bakery after attack on Karachi Bakery in India

As tensions flared between India and Pakistan, political hostility spilled into public spaces when workers from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vandalised the famed Karachi Bakery in Hyderabad, India.

The attack, carried out on Saturday, targeted the bakery's name—specifically the word “Karachi”—which the assailants deemed unpatriotic.

Video footage showed the mob hitting the bakery’s signboard with sticks in a symbolic attempt to erase any Pakistani reference.

This is not the first time Karachi Bakery has faced such aggression. In 2019, one of its outlets in Bengaluru was forced to cover the word “Karachi” on its signage after protests erupted.

Meanwhile, across the border in Pakistan, the response was markedly different. Pakistanis took to social media to express affection for Bombay Bakery, located in Hyderabad, Sindh.

The century-old establishment—famous for its signature cakes and deep-rooted legacy—saw an outpouring of support as people praised its enduring charm and symbolic cultural harmony.

Owned by the Thadani family, Bombay Bakery celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011 and continues to be one of the most beloved bakeries in the country.

The contrasting reactions to each other’s legacy brands reflect not just political tensions, but also how shared history and culture persist in everyday life—even amid nationalist rhetoric.