Anand: A controversy has erupted at a McDonald’s outlet located in PVR Cinemas in the city after a vegetarian customer was reportedly served chicken nuggets instead of a vegetarian ones that he had ordered. The incident has sparked outrage on social media, particularly because it involved a customer from the Swaminarayan sect who was observing a religious fast.

It is learnt that the customer visited the outlet on Agiyaras on Thursday and requested Veg Cheese Nuggets, but was informed by staff that only ‘nuggets’ were available. Under the assumption that these were potato-based, the customer consumed them, only to later realize they were chicken nuggets. The customer further alleged that the bill did not clarify whether the item was vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

“I ordered veg nuggets, but they didn’t clarify… I ate them thinking they were potato nuggets, but found out later that they were chicken. Today was Agiyaras. On the day of Agiyaras, McDonald’s has desecrated my religion,” said the customer.

Initially, the customer reported a lack of a satisfactory response from the staff, which led to the situation escalating and a video of the confrontation going viral. However, as the controversy grew, the shift manager at the outlet admitted to the lapse. The staff reportedly claimed that vegetarian nuggets had been discontinued at that location four years ago, but this was not clearly communicated to the customer during the ordering process.

“Truly, it is a very big mistake… this should not happen. We give priority even to customers who request food without onion and garlic, so this (serving meat to a vegetarian) is a major thing. There was a misunderstanding during the conversation which led to this mistake,” the outlet employee said.

The viral video has led to a wave of criticism against the fast-food giant, with many vegetarian and Hindu customers questioning the brand’s quality control and sensitivity toward religious dietary restrictions. DeshGujarat