Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
The alleged listing of pork products for sale on quick-commerce platform Blinkit in Kashmir has triggered widespread outrage, with prominent religious and trade bodies demanding their immediate removal and urging the company to respect the region’s religious and cultural sensitivities.
The controversy surfaced shortly after Blinkit expanded its services to Kashmir, with screenshots circulating on social media purportedly showing pork products available for delivery in the Valley.
The alleged listings drew sharp criticism from religious leaders and representatives of the business community, who described the issue as deeply offensive in the Muslim-majority region, where the sale and consumption of pork is religiously prohibited.
The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), an amalgam of several religious organisations headed by Kashmir’s chief preacher Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, expressed strong concern over the reported listings, saying screenshots shared by members of the public indicated that pork products were being offered for sale on the platform in Kashmir.
The MMU said it was well known that the sale and consumption of pork are prohibited in Islam and that the issue is highly sensitive for Muslims. Questioning how such products were allowed to appear on the platform, the organisation called for a thorough investigation by the authorities and sought appropriate action against those responsible.
The religious body also urged Blinkit to immediately remove the products and ensure they are neither stocked, advertised nor sold in Kashmir. It stressed that companies operating in the region must respect its religious and cultural ethos and conduct their business responsibly.
Meanwhile, the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has formally written to Blinkit, expressing serious concern over the reported listings.
In its communication, the Chamber said the incident had deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the people and reflected a significant lapse in understanding the cultural and religious sensitivities of the region.
KCCI President Javid Ahmad Tenga said companies expanding into Kashmir must ensure that their commercial operations are aligned with local values.
“Every company entering Kashmir must recognise that commercial expansion cannot come at the cost of disregarding the deeply held religious and cultural values of the people. Businesses have a responsibility to understand the character of the markets they serve. Product catalogues must be tailored to local sensitivities, and robust safeguards should be in place to prevent such unacceptable lapses. Blinkit must immediately withdraw these listings, review its systems comprehensively and ensure that such incidents are never repeated,” Tenga said.
The Kashmir Trade Alliance (KTA) also criticised the reported listings, saying businesses operating in Kashmir must demonstrate sensitivity towards the region’s religious and cultural values.
KTA President Aijaz Ahmad Shahdhar said the reported availability of pork products had caused concern among consumers and underscored the need for companies to adopt region-specific safeguards while operating in culturally sensitive markets.
“Kashmir welcomes investment, innovation and modern business models, but every company must understand that commercial success is built on respect for the sentiments of local communities. Offering products that are religiously prohibited to the overwhelming majority of the population reflects a serious lack of market understanding. Blinkit should immediately remove such products, issue an appropriate clarification and establish strict filters to ensure that listings incompatible with the cultural and religious values of Kashmir never appear on its platform again,” Shahdhar said.
The controversy has sparked widespread debate on social media, with many users calling on Blinkit to clarify whether the products were inadvertently listed due to a technical or cataloguing error and to put in place safeguards to prevent similar incidents in the future. At the time of filing this report, Blinkit had not issued an official statement on the matter.
