The posters displaying "Big Western BBQ Cheeseburger" in "ampm" stores contain the words "Holy Cow" in bold and capital letters at the top. This cheeseburger contains barbeque sauce, diced onions and bell peppers on a hoagie bun.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that cow was held sacred by Hindus and was considered the seat of many deities. Inappropriate usage of Hinduism concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, noted.

Rajan Zed further said that businesses should be more sensitive to the feelings of faithful of all religions.

"ampm", launched in 1978, has about a thousand locations and is described as "Convenience shops in the western USA with a strong personality". It is a brand of BP, claimed to be one of the world's leading international oil and gas companies in almost 80 countries with generated economic value of about $360 billion.

Bob Dudley and Carl-Henric Svanberg are Group Chief Executive and Board Chairman respectively of BP, launched in 1908 and headquartered in London.