Kozhikode, Kerala — Amid rising tensions over corporate complicity in the Gaza genocide, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K. Surendran visited a Zudio outlet in Kozhikode and publicly purchased clothing to show solidarity with the Tata Group. The move came just days after the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) staged a protest outside the same store, accusing the Tata-owned fashion brand of supporting Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, reported the Newsminute.
In a strongly worded Facebook post, Surendran, the former BJP Kerala state president, condemned the protest campaign as “anti-national” and described the demonstrators as “religious extremists” and “terrorists.” He also shared a video of himself shopping at the store.
“The boycott calls against Tata, the backbone of the Indian economy, by religious extremists are nothing short of a call for insurrection against the nation,” Surendran wrote. “Those opposing Zudio today for supporting Israel will undoubtedly call for a boycott of India tomorrow. Such anti-national activities must be nipped in the bud. The soft stance taken by the Congress and CPI(M) towards religious extremism poses a serious threat to the country.”
The controversy began on May 28, when nearly 50 activists from the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine (IPSP), and BDS India gathered outside the Kozhikode Zudio store. The demonstrators carried Palestinian flags and placards reading “Zudio supports genocide,” “Our silence funds the bombing,” and “Boycott Zudio.” They briefly shut down the store as part of a nationwide campaign against brands allegedly complicit in Israeli war crimes.
The SIO-led protest is part of a larger Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, targeting Tata Group subsidiaries such as Zudio and Westside. Activists have cited Tata’s financial and defense ties with Israel, including the supply of vehicles and investments in the aerospace sector, as evidence of complicity.
Similar protests took place in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Patna, Visakhapatnam, Chandigarh, Rohtak, and Vijayawada. On the same day as the Kozhikode protest, demonstrators also gathered outside a Zudio outlet in Secunderabad, Telangana.
Social media campaigns led by Muslim student groups have also amplified calls for boycotting brands linked to Israel. A viral slogan—“Bloodstains on new clothes – Boycott brands that support the genocide in Gaza”—has gained traction online.
In response, BJP supporters and leaders launched counter-campaigns online, branding the protesters as “anti-nationals” and “terror sympathizers.”
Surendran’s remarks, especially his use of the term “terrorists,” have drawn criticism from civil society groups who argue such statements further inflame communal tensions and suppress legitimate dissent.
The Tata Group has not issued any official statement in response to the allegations or the protests.
