A hate campaign against a Muslim-owned mall in Kochi, aided by an allegedly distorted image insinuating that it displayed a bigger Pakistani flag compared with India’s in its World Cup promotion, has led its marketing manager to resign while appealing against “propagating hatred”.

The Lulu Mall in Kochi had tried to cash in on the World Cup fever by hanging down from its ceiling the flags of all the 10 participating countries. Images uploaded by the mall and several social media users have now purportedly shown that all the flags were of equal size.

However, a picture taken apparently from an angle that made the Pakistani flag look bigger than the rest began circulating on social media on Tuesday. It kicked off a campaign attacking the mall, the Muslim community, and the state of Kerala.

One of the first to target the mall was Pratheesh Vishwanath, a well-known Hindutva activist and founder of the Hindu Seva Kendra.

“For them it’s always their medieval believes first whether its a puncherwala or a multi billionaire !!! This photo is from Lulu Mall Kochi, Kerala which is owned by M.A Yusuff Ali.. it’s pertinent to note that how they are treating Indian Flag (sic),” Vishwanath commented on X on Tuesday, posting the distorted image.

Ali, the owner of the mall, is an Abu Dhabi-based Malayali billionaire.

A social media user named Anirudha DD, too, posted the image and commented on X: “Not Lahore or Islamabad, it’s in kerala !!…”

The controversy led the mall’s marketing manager, Athira Nampiathiri, to step down although the company claimed she had not been asked to do so.

Athira posted an emotional message on Linkedin on Thursday, emphasising that falsehood and hatred can ruin careers and lives.

“After dedicating a whole decade to a company with an unwavering passion, it pains me to find myself not working one day, all because of baseless falsehoods and social media sensationalism,” she wrote.

“What transpired as a simple gesture of support for sportsmanship, using flags as decor, morphed into a nightmarish distortion that none of us could have fathomed.

“We are staunch, proud Indians, deeply committed to our companies with unparalleled devotion. However, the reckless chatter and unverified reports swirling on social media carry the potential to devastate one’s integrity and livelihood.

“Just as a company values its reputation and integrity, as a citizen of this nation, I hold a profound love for my country and am willing to go to great lengths to uphold its honor. Denouncing this as false news or a post like this will not restore my image, integrity, or the years of dedication and achievements I poured into my work.

“I implore you all, to please refrain from propagating hatred and abstain from engaging in activities that could ruin the careers and lives of individuals. Let us stand together to champion truth and fairness in this digital age. My loss is a loss but let no one get affected because of this hate.”

N.B. Swaraj, India media head of the Lulu Group, told The Telegraph on Friday that Athira “resigned on Wednesday although she was not asked to”.

Swaraj said the flags were displayed only for a single day. “They were displayed mainly for India’s first match (on October 8) and were removed later that night. But by then someone had taken these distorted pictures,” he said.

Earlier, the Lulu Mall in Lucknow was embroiled in controversy when a few people offered namaz on the premises in July 2022. Religious activity without permission at public places is banned in Uttar Pradesh.

The accused were later arrested and released on bail. Several members of a Hindu Right-wing group later staged a protest at the mall over the namaz episode.