Indian restaurant renamed after Hitler provokes outcry

The owner of a restaurant in India controversially named after Adolf Hitler is to change its name after it provoked outrage.

Puneet Sablok yesterday said he would remove Hitler's name and the Nazi swastika from billboards and the menu at Hitler's Cross, reports Associated Press.

Sablok made the decision after meeting with members of Mumbai's small Jewish community.

"Once they told me how upset they were with the name, I decided to change it," he said. "I don't want to do business by hurting people."

Sablok had said the restaurant's name and symbols were only meant to attract attention.

Mumbai's Jewish community, which number around 4,500, welcomed the move.

"He realised he made a mistake and listened to reason," said Elijah Jacob, a community leader. "Some people have wrong conceptions of history and he realized it was not appropriate."

The swastika symbol, which was appropriated by the Nazis, was originally an ancient Hindu symbol and it is displayed all over India to bring luck.

By Daniel Thomas

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