PUNE: The J M Road branch of McDonald's was closed for two hours on Saturday evening after a social organization threw mud on its facade, allegedly over an incident that happened a few days back when the staff threw out a poor child for entering the shop.
Police sub-inspector Umakant Pune of the Deccan police station said that it could be a handy work of Dalit Panther, a social organization, because the 10 to 12 men who threw mud at the outlet were shouting 'Dalit Panther ki jai'. "Investigations are still underway and we do not know what prompted the organization to do such a thing. We will examine the CCTV footage," said Pune.
When TOI reporter visited the shop on Saturday evening — a busy weekend time — the shutter was down. The McDonald's staff cited 'cleaning' as the reason for the temporary closure. A person who works at a shop close by said the attack could be a reaction to what happened at the outlet a few days back when the staff refused to entertain a street child who had entered the outlet with a well-to-do woman. "The woman was to pay for the boy's food. But the staff threw the child out," said the manager of an adjacent store.
McDonald's India, meanwhile, issued a press note saying that "the concerned security personnel involved in the incident have been suspended pending completion of an enquiry".
Shaheena Attarwala, a user interface designer from Mumbai, wrote on her Facebook wall: "I was in Pune for a work visit the other day. At night, all of us there decided to visit the #McDonald's nearby. We went in and got ourselves some coke floats. On our way out, a poor kid approached us, asking for some. Since it is not very expensive, I decided to buy him a Fanta float. I asked the kid if he would like to come in with me and stand in line to purchase it himself. He agreed. So, I took him in and he stood in the line. Of course, I accompanied him. Immediately, a McDonald's employee came and pushed him and threw the kid out!"
The Deccan police station told TOI that the McDonald's had not filed an FIR till Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, McDonald's issued an official statement on the incident on Saturday. Ranjit Paliath, VP, Business Operations, McDonald's India (West and South), said: "McDonald's India is investigating internally an issue that has been reported on an incident involving a street child. The concerned security personnel involved in the incident have been suspended pending completion of an enquiry. We will further examine if in any manner there has been a breach in basic courtesy and respect and take appropriate action, including re-training where required. We wish to affirm that we treasure and respect everyone in equal measure and do not support any form of discrimination. McDonald's seeks to provide all our customers a safe and welcoming environment. We will always ensure that our guests feel comfortable, safe and looked after."
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