As the controversy around Zomato taking a stand against bigotry blew up on social media, UberEATS fell in the line of fire. Netizens started using “#BoycottUberEats” on Twitter after they posted a tweet extending their support to Zomato.
.@ZomatoIN, we stand by you. https://t.co/vzjF8RhYzi
— Uber Eats India (@UberEats_IND) July 31, 2019
UberEATS’ message of solidarity drew some angry reactions with some users saying that they will boycott both UberEATS and Zomato.
Here You go, Both Apps of @ZomatoIN and @UberEats_IND has been uninstalled from my cellphone.
“Now you guys buy and serve food to each other”#boycottzomato #BoycottUberEats pic.twitter.com/SqSWTvqs4Q— एक देशभक्त (@GarvitDeshbhakt) August 1, 2019
I’m using since 1 year now they shown there color. Why always Hindus are targeted . #BoycottUberEats #boycottzomato pic.twitter.com/eSbKc8fWwl
— Somesh (@GumachiSomesh) August 1, 2019
Here is My response to @UberEats_IND #BoycottUberEats pic.twitter.com/ZuFg9zh4Co
— Ritesh Dubey (@RiteshJee1986) August 1, 2019
Now it’s time to boycott you. We are free to choose who deliver us.
If you give them choice of halal and other. You have to give us a choice. Otherwise we boycott you. #boycottzomato #BoycottUberEats— Sitanshu Sharma (@Sitansh_BJP) August 1, 2019
And Hindus won’t order anything from both now.
Take Panga with customers and humiliate them. And customers will show you who is the KING.
— Navin Srivastava (@navinks) August 1, 2019
When a Librat refused board an uber cab having Angry Hanuman sticker, she was hailed as a Champion of sorts.
When a Bhakt refused to get zomato delivery done by some Abdul, he gets slammed as Communal Bigot.
Librats have different formula to calculate Bigotry based on Religion
— Vipul mishra (@Vandanamishra44) August 1, 2019
Boy Cott Uber now!!! Now stand alone with zomato
— Rahul Sharma (@mayanksharma656) July 31, 2019
भारत मे रहना है तो हिन्दुओं के साथ चलना होगा, वरना पेले जाओगे। बताई देते हैं।
— Kailash rawat (@Kailash_S_R) August 1, 2019
While some were furious about another food aggregator extending support to its competition on the matter of bigotry, others were happy making memes out of the entire situation.
People on Twitter:#BoycottUberEats#boycottzomato
Le UberEats and Zomato order history: pic.twitter.com/2POLW7K6xa
— Nikhil Aggarwal (@nikhil__98) August 1, 2019
@swiggy_in watching everything go down like #BoycottUberEats #boycottzomato pic.twitter.com/jRYRr1tkAl
— Arlene (@playamarais) August 1, 2019
Moments captured live in swiggy office#BoycottUberEats#boycottzomato pic.twitter.com/q5oL7vqPBy
— Raj Lakhani (@The___Raaj) August 1, 2019
After watching the trends#BoycottZomato and #BoycottUberEats
Swiggy right now: pic.twitter.com/1LpPWpzw5V
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) August 1, 2019
Scene inside swiggy office rn #BoycottUberEats pic.twitter.com/yuB0ZqyFL8
— Indian Bhau (@BhauIndian) August 1, 2019
What the controversy is about
The whole controversy began when a man cancelled his food order on Zomato because the deliveryperson was a “non Hindu rider”. In the chat support, he reasoned that he follows “shrawan” because of which he won’t accept delivery from a Muslim rider. After ranting about not getting a refund from Zomato, the food delivery app replied: “Food doesn’t have a religion. It is a religion.”
Food doesn’t have a religion. It is a religion. https://t.co/H8P5FlAw6y
— Zomato India (@ZomatoIN) July 31, 2019
Then company’s CEO Deepinder Goyal also weighed in with a tweet in which he stood by the company’s decision.
We are proud of the idea of India – and the diversity of our esteemed customers and partners. We aren’t sorry to lose any business that comes in the way of our values https://t.co/cgSIW2ow9B
— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) July 31, 2019
As the controversy escalated, there was also a discussion around the options of halal meat and Jain food being provided on the aggregator. In its clarification, the company explained why they offer such tags and said that while an FSSAI license is mandatory, halal certification is voluntary.
