Burger King apologizes to Hindus for ad

MADRID, July 9 (UPI) -- Fast food chain Burger King has apologized to Hindus for an ad run in Spain that depicted an Indian goddess with a beef burger, which the religion forbids.

Burger King pulled the advertisement after receiving complaints from Hindus around the world about the depiction of Lakshmi, the Indian goddess of wealth, with a "Texican Whopper" burger containing an all-beef patty, a beef chili-con-carne slice and an egg-based Cajun mayonnaise, which are all foods banned by the Hindu religion, The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday.

The ad was accompanied by the slogan: "La merienda es sagrada," which translates to, "The snack is sacred."

"We are apologizing because it wasn't our intent to offend anyone," Burger King spokeswoman Denise Wilson said. "Burger King Corporation values and respects all of its guests as well as the communities we serve. This in-store advertisement was running to support only local promotion for three restaurants in Spain and was not intended to offend anyone."

"Out of respect for the Hindu community, the limited-time advertisement has been removed from the restaurants," she said.