Zomato on Sunday issued a clarification over an advertisement that starred Hrithik Roshan wherein the actor was seen ordering food from ‘Mahakal’ when he felt like having a 'thali', or a platter of food.
However, Zomato issued a statement that the ad "referenced 'thalis' at 'Mahakal Restaurant', and not the revered Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple.
Zomato's apology comes after 'Boycott Zomato' started trending on Twitter. According Hindustan Times it also comes after two priests of Ujjain's Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple demanded immediate withdrawal of the advertisement.
According to the same report that the priests said their prasad is distributed among devotees on a plate without cost and that it can't be ordered on a delivery app.
Zomato's statement read as follows, “We deeply respect the sentiments of the people of Ujjain, and the ad in question is no longer running. We offer our sincerest apologies, for the intent here was never to hurt anyone's beliefs and sentiments.”
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)