'Hitler' clothing store in India to change name

Owners of menswear outlet named "Hitler" have decided to drop the name after being "hounded by various organizations."

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Hitler Store India 370 (photo credit: REUTERS/Punit Paranjpe)
Hitler Store India 370
(photo credit: REUTERS/Punit Paranjpe)
The owners of a clothing outlet named "Hitler" in Ahmedabad, India, have decided to drop its name after pressure from both the local and international community, according to a report Monday by The Times of India.The shop opened last month with a huge sign reading “Hitler” and a Nazi swastika inside the dot in the letter “i.”
Manish Chandani, co-owner of the menswear outlet, told the Times, "We have been hounded by various organizations from the city, state and nation ever since we opened. We have been unofficially told that the civic authorities will revoke permissions if we continue with the name."
"The matter has gone out of hand and we don't want to take any chance," he continued.
Rajesh Shah, co-owner, stated on Monday evening that they would soon come up with a new name.
According to the Times, Orna Sagiv, consul general of Israel at Mumbai, had met senior state government officials in Gujarat on Monday and informed them that the shop's name has upset Jewish community, both in India and around the world.
Menashe Solomon, honorary secretary of Magen Abraham synagogue in the city said that he wanted to thank the owners of the shop and alert citizens.
"We are happy that the name change did take place. The support we have got from all the residents and international community is overwhelming," he said.
This is not the first time such controversy has arisen over the name in India. In 2006, "Hitler's Cross" restaurant opened in Mumbai, having been promoted with posters of the Nazi leader and swastikas. The restaurant in India's financial hub infuriated the country's small Jewish community.