Burger King has removed posters in its stores in Spain showing a Hindu goddess endorsing a sandwich and issued a public apology for the advertisement that offended Hindus.

"We are apologizing because it wasn't our intent to offend anyone," Denise T. Wilson, spokesman of Burger King, said in an email, according to The Times of India.

"Out of respect for the Hindu community, the in-store advertisement has been removed from the restaurants," the global chain of hamburger restaurants added in a statement.

The move stemmed from the ad of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of good fortune and beauty, sitting atop a meat-cheese sandwich and other foodstuffs. The ad's slogan read "La merienda es sagrada" or "Snack is sacred."

Nevada-based Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, said Wednesday the ad denigrates their religion because Hindus practice vegetarianism and are against animal slaughter and meat eating.

"Lakshmi was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing meat sandwiches in the streets for mercantile greed of a global corporation," Zed said.

Zed suggested that Burger King form an internal team of senior executives who should clear all the publicity material before it went to the public and this team should be well trained.