Police have registered a case against YouTuber Amrit Singh Darren over alleged communal remarks in a video about a cafe in Kerala.Darren, who is from north India, claimed that Kashi Art Cafe in Fort Kochi displayed a silver statue of Muhammad Ali Jinnah alongside one of Mahatma Gandhi and served beef. The video prompted social media comments both supporting and opposing his claims.Fort Kochi police booked Darren under Sections 353(2) and 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita over the video shared through his Instagram account, PTI reported, citing sources in the state Home Minister's office.
The provisions relate to statements likely to cause public mischief and provocation intended to cause a riot.According to the first information report, Darren allegedly knew that his actions could disturb public peace and lead to clashes between two religious communities. The video was posted around 6 am on October 22.
The FIR said the video claimed that the cafe, named after Kashi, a place of religious significance to Hindus, served beef because a large number of Muslims lived in the area. It said the remarks and the subsequent online reactions could create hatred and enmity between religious communities.Pinarayi Vijayan strongly condemned the remarks and urged the state government to take strict legal action against those spreading communal enmity.
In a post on X, Vijayan said Fort Kochi and Varkala were places where cultures met, histories intertwined and diversity thrived."Now, a vlogger peddling hate for profit seeks to paint these vibrant destinations in communal colours. Having failed to divide Keralam, the Sangh Parivar is outsourcing its hate campaign to online provocateurs.
But Keralam's secular spirit will not yield to their politics of hatred," he said.Vijayan reiterated that the state government must take strict legal action against those spreading communal enmity. The police case centres on allegations that Darren's video and the online reactions it generated could disturb public peace and create hostility between religious communities.- Ends