#RejectKFC is trending due to a Karnataka outlet refusing to play Kannada music; KFC claims the video is out of date
Following in the footsteps of Zomato, the restaurant chain KFC has been embroiled in a scandal after one of its Karnataka locations allegedly refused to play Kannada music at the request of a customer. According to the claims against KFC, which have caused the hashtag #RejectKFC to trend on Twitter, a restaurant employee stated that Hindi was India’s native language. As a result, there will be no Kannada music played there. A video of the alleged event has also gone viral on the microblogging site. Many Twitter users complained that the publication was disrespectful to Karnataka’s land and culture, while others said it was anti-Kannada.
ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಕೆಎಫ್ ಸಿ ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕನ್ನಡ ಹಾಡು ಹಾಕುವಂತಿಲ್ಲ ಅಂತ @KFC_India ನಿಯಮ ಮಾಡಿದೆಯಂತೆ!#ಇದೆಂತಹಗಾಂಚಲಿ #BanKFCinKarnataka @CMofKarnataka @karkalasunil @rajanna_rupesh pic.twitter.com/a8SMvRXXmJ
— ವಿನಯ್ 🇮🇳 (@meVinayRW) October 23, 2021
Meanwhile, KFC issued a statement saying: “This video is dated and is now being re-circulated. KFC India has the highest respect for cultural values of all communities. As a brand with presence across the country, it is our endeavour to ensure our consumers have the same KFC experience whenever and wherever they visit us, and hence at present we have a common playlist that is licensed and purchased centrally, and played across restaurants nationwide.”
Here’s how the netizens reacted to the video:
https://twitter.com/Vish76Al/status/1452284522918187010?s=20
KFC You need Karnataka's land,kannadigas to run your business but can't play kannada songs when Kannadiga requests. Please know that India has no National language!!! #RejectKFC #kfcಕನ್ನಡಬೇಕು #stophindiimposiotion pic.twitter.com/58qK0zyubP
— ಅಶೋಕ್ ಪೂಜಾರಿ ಮಡಿಕೇರಿ (@ashokpoojari69) October 25, 2021
Similarly, on October 19, an incident involving the meal delivery service Zomato and a Tamilian customer was revealed. The buyer was advised that he should be familiar with Hindi because it was India’s “national language.” The incident came to light after Vikash tweeted about his interaction with a customer service representative as a result of a mistake with his lunch order. He also shared images of his interaction with a Zomato executive, indicating that he was unable to obtain a refund for an order due to a misunderstanding between Zomato and the restaurant from which he had purchased.
The executive blamed the miscommunication on a language barrier, but when Vikash suggested that they should have sent someone who understood Tamil, the executive replied, “Hindi is our national language, and it is extremely common that everybody should know Hindi a little bit.”
