Kerala Police book social media influencer Darren for ‘communally divisive hate speech’ on Instagram

Social media influencer Diya Krishna, daughter of BJP leader and NTDFC chairperson G. Krishnan Kumar, says she seconded Darren’s post as a ‘sad reality’ without watching the full video; Darren also criticised UDF govt. for ‘accepting funding from Arab countries to aid promote Islam’ in Keralam; Satheesan, Pinarayi slam the video

Updated - October 25, 2026 01:08 am IST - Thiruvananthapuram

Representational image. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

The Kerala Police on Saturday (October 24, 2026) registered a case against social media influencer Amrit Singh Darren on the charge of creating enmity between different religious communities by seeking to other Muslims in Kochi on his Instagram handle, “littichokha_up_”.

Mr. Darren, in a video, criticises the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government for “accepting funding from Arab countries to aid promote Islam” in Keralam. The influencer singles out Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala for reproof, accusing him of standing passively as the “dangerous situation” in Keralam seemed to “slip out of our hands” unless the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led “Central government intervened”.

Diya Krishna, another social media influencer and daughter of BJP leader and chairperson of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), G. Krishnakumar, seemed to second the contentious and communally schismatic Instagram content by stating “Sad Reality” in the comments section.

Ms. Krishna was not immediately available to comment. Nevertheless, after the Instagram post provoked outrage in Keralam, Ms. Krishna posted on Instagram that she had not appreciated Mr. Darren’s full post and that her comment pertained to the influencer’s first few remarks.

In the first part of the video, Mr. Darren objects to the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi juxtaposed with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder and first Prime Minister of Pakistan, at Kashi Art Cafe, a popular eatery in Fort Kochi. He says Jinnah has no place in India, and his portrait in the restaurant is an affront to national pride.

Mr. Darren says he had entered the restaurant, noticed the Kashi branding, and blamed the management for serving beef. He says the management should rename the joint Karachi Art Cafe rather than use the name of the ancient city Hindus consider holy. Mr. Darren also seeks to portray Kochi as overwhelmingly Islamic, despite the Union Ministry of Tourism’s Incredible India website portraying Kochi as a historically important city sculpted over the centuries by Jewish, Muslim, and Christian cultural influences.

According to the FIR registered by the Fort Kochi police, the accused acted with the knowledge that his actions can disrupt peace and harmony. The case has been registered under sections 353(2) and 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for circulating false information with intent to create or promote feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will between different religious groups and giving provocation to cause riot.

Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, P. Vijayan told The Hindu that the 10-minute video sought to portray the Muslim population in Fort Kochi as a national threat. “The social media post prima facie reveals an attempt to create enmity between communities,” he said.

‘No place for communal hatred’

Reacting to the controversy, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, in a statement on ‘X’, said communal hatred has no place in Keralam.

“The recent Instagram video by a vlogger from outside the State, attempting to spread misinformation about Fort Kochi, portray our State in a negative light, and divide communities, is unacceptable,” he said. Mr. Satheesan added that the UDF government remains committed to communal harmony and justice without fear or favour.

Keralam Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, in a statement on ‘X’, said, “Fort Kochi and Varkala are places where cultures meet, histories intertwine and diversity thrives. 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. The State government must take strict legal action against those spreading communal enmity.”

Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) national president A.A. Rahim, MP, told The Hindu that Mr. Darren’s post was the latest in a series of attempts to demonise Keralam, erode its religious harmony, and inject identitarian politics into a secular polity, where Christians and Muslims, among others, make up 45% of the population. He said the Sangh Parivar had bankrolled a similar attempt in 2023, when the BJP-led Central government promoted the communally inflammatory and slanderous film Kerala Story, which sought to portray Keralam as a fertile recruiting ground for Islamists.