Govt tells Hyundai: Be forceful in seeking apology

New Delhi, Feb 8 (UNI) The government on Tuesday informed the Rajya Sabha that it has asked Hyundai to be more forceful in extending unequivocal apology. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stood up in Zero Hour and responded to the issue of Hyundai posting content on Kashmir in solidarity with Pakistan raised by Shiv Sena member Priyanka Chaturvedi. “The issue has been taken up both with the government there and the company concerned. They have already issued a clarification yesterday. We have also asked them to be more forceful in their unequivocal apology on this issue,” said Goyal. Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi raised the issue of anti-India content posted by various companies on their social media platforms in the House. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Chaturvedi demanded action against companies “posting content on Kashmir in solidarity with Pakistan” without specifically naming Hyundai. “Such posts which are challenging the sovereignty of our country should not be acceptable. It has been surprising that it has been ignored till now and also keeping in mind that these companies have been flourishing in India for the past many years yet choosing to take stances that are contentious is unacceptable,” she said. She said the companies must respect the rules and laws of the nation they operate in and should refrain from posting such content. “I urge the government to ensure the companies apologize unequivocally for seditious post,” she said. Earlier, South Korean automobile major Hyundai Motors courted controversy after the firm’s Pakistani dealership co-owned by the Nishat Group, called for the “freedom of Kashmir.” Following the furor in India, Hyundai India distanced itself from the “unsolicited social media post” which it said is “offending” to its unparalleled commitment and service to India. Hyundai Motor India said that it has been committed to the Indian market for more than 25 years and it “stands firmly for our strong ethos of respecting nationalism.” It also said that India is second home to the Hyundai brand and “We have zero tolerance policy towards insensitive communication and we strongly condemn any such view.” Earlier, when the Hyundai Pakistan tweet trended on social media, Indians questioned the intentions behind such a tweet.