South Korean automotive giant Hyundai became the fodder for trolls after ‘Boycott Hyundai’ trended on Twitter. ‘Boycott Hyundai’ started trending on the microblogging platform after the company’s social media handle in Pakistan shared posts supporting the Kashmiri ‘freedom’. Earlier on February 5, Pakistan observed Kashmir Solidarity Day. On the day, its Facebook page shared a post which read, “Let us remember the sacrifices of our Kashmiri brothers and stand in support as they continue to struggle for freedom.”. The marketing campaign received a massive backlash. Indians on the internet called the company out and sought justification as to how Pakistan Hyundai was showing its support in a widely disputed issue. Later, Hyundai India issued a statement where it claimed that it has a “zero tolerance policy towards insensitive communication”.

Contents hide
1. The Facts of the Matter
2. Why Boycott Hyundai Trended on Twitter?
3. A Look at ‘Boycott Hyundai’ Trolling Tweets
4. Netizens Complain of Being Blocked by Hyundai
5. Hyundai Goes on Damage Control, Issues Statement

The Facts of the Matter

With its efficient and economical offerings in Indian market like i10, i20, and its feature-packed Sedans like Verna, and Elantra, Hyundai has become a household name in Indian automobile market. However, little did the South Korean car manufacturer know that it would be trending on Twitter India with the word boycott associated with the name.

On Saturday, February 5, and for the most part of Sunday, February 6, Twitter India’s trending section showed ‘Boycott Hyundai’ with no sign of the controversy fizzing out.

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Why Boycott Hyundai Trended on Twitter?

It all started when Indian netizens observed that Hyundai Pakistan’s Facebook & Twitter page had showed its support to “Kashmiri freedom” on the Kashmir Solidarity Day that is observed every year on February 5. The day is observed by Pakistan to extend its support for the Kashmiri ‘separatists’ in India.

On the day, the Hyundai Pakistan’s social media handles shared post which read, “Let us remember the sacrifices of our Kashmiri brothers and stand in support as they continue to struggle for freedom”. The post also had a hashtag #KashmirSolidarityDay.

Although the social media posts were removed soon enough, Hyundai India had to face an intense backlash by Indian netizens. The netizens shared screenshots of the deleted post and tweet, and called Hyundai out for taking a stand on the disputed issue.

Netizens, with strong sense of ‘nationalism’, called out fellow Indian citizens to boycott the automobile’s presence in India until an apology was not issued.

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A Look at ‘Boycott Hyundai’ Trolling Tweets

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Netizens Complain of Being Blocked by Hyundai

Interestingly enough, several netizens also complained of being blocked by Hyundai India when they sought a clarification on the matter.

Hyundai Goes on Damage Control, Issues Statement

In the wake of the controversy, Hyundai India later went into a complete damage control mode and issued a statement regarding the matter. In its statement, the company claimed its “unparalleled commitment and services” to India and added India to be the company’s second home.

“Hyundai Motor India has been committed to Indian market for more than 25 years now and we stand firmly for our strong ethos of respecting nationalism. The unsolicited social media post linking Hyundai Motor India is offending our unparalleled commitment and service to this great country. India is second home to the Hyundai brand and we have zero tolerance policy towards insensitive communication and we strongly condemn any such view. As part of our commitment to India, we will continue our efforts towards the betterment of the country as well as its citizens,” the statement read.

 

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