Major global car manufacturer Hyundai has been facing massive backlash after a social media post uploaded by an Instagram handle called Hyundai Pakistan Official called for the ‘liberation’ of Kashmir. A Twitter account, as well as an Instagram account with handle @hyundaiPakistanOfficial, had posted a message supporting Kashmir Solidarity day, supporting what it called as"struggle for freedom."
The Instagram post had the text ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day 5th February’ over a picture of stone pelters in the background. The post caused a massive uproar, with #BoycottHyundai trending on Twitter in India, with many people asking to stop buying the company's products in the country. Users called for an apology from the Pakistan dealer as well as Hyundai Global for misrepresentation of Kashmir and for siding with separatists in Kashmir. After the backlash, the post seems to have been taken down.
However, as calls for a Hyundai boycott grew online, Hyundai Motor India issued a statement reacting to the controversial post, saying that the company stands strong on its ethos of respecting nationalism, reiterating its commitment to the Indian market.
"Hyundai MotorIndia has been committed to the Indian market for more than 25 years now and we stand firmly for our strong ethos of respecting nationalism," it said. The company further said, "The unsolicited social media post linking Hyundai Motor India is offending our unparalleled commitment and service to this great country."
Reiterating that India is the ‘second home’ to the Hyundai brand, the company said, "We have a zero-tolerance policy towards insensitive communication and we strongly condemn any such view." Hyundai Motor India further said, "As part of our commitment to India, we will continue our efforts towards the betterment of the country as well as its citizens."
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 company is planning to roll out a mix of models based on its existing range as well as completely new vehicles based on its global platform 'E-GMP' over the next few years. Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is present in over 200 countries with more than 120,000 employees.