North Indian influencer’s hate video on Fort Kochi sparks row; Diya Krishna clarifies her comment amid backlash

A video by North Indian influencer Amrit Singh Darren has triggered a social media backlash in Kerala over his remarks on Kashi Art Cafe in Fort Kochi, where he questioned the display of Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait alongside Mahatma Gandhi’s, objected to the sale of beef, and claimed that Muslims dominate the area’s businesses and that local right-wing residents live in fear.

The video, shared by the Instagram account ‘Litichokup’, begins with Darren recounting a visit to Kashi Art Cafe in Fort Kochi. He takes issue with the cafe displaying portraits of Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah together, as well as serving beef.

“What is Jinnah doing in Bharat?” he asks, before claiming that Fort Kochi is now dominated by Muslims. He alleges that 95% of business owners, taxi and autorickshaw drivers, small-scale traders and street vendors in the area belong to the community. He also claims that local residents with right-wing views are afraid to speak openly and have asked him not to reveal their locations in his videos.

The remarks have drawn criticism from Malayalis on social media, with users challenging his portrayal of Fort Kochi and objecting to his claims about the Muslim community. As the video gained traction, a comment by influencer Diya Krishna, daughter of BJP politician and actor Krishnakumar, became another point of contention.

“Sad reality,” Diya had commented under the video. She later deleted the comment, but it had already drawn widespread attention, with several social media users criticising her for appearing to endorse Darren’s remarks about the area.

Diya has since addressed the controversy in a video posted on social media, saying she was heartbroken by the comments directed at her and what she described as distorted media reports. She explained that she follows Darren and had watched the portion of the video featuring Kashi Art Cafe, but had not seen the second half, in which he makes claims about Fort Kochi’s Muslim population and alleges that local residents live in fear.

According to Diya, her comment was specifically about the portrait of Jinnah displayed alongside that of Gandhi at the cafe.
“The name of the cafe is Kashi, which is the oldest city in India. So, in a cafe like Kashi, you can put up Mahatma Gandhi’s picture. He is the Father of the Nation. Nehru, I can understand. But Jinnah, I will never be able to comprehend that. That is why I commented, ‘Sad reality’,” she said.

Rejecting suggestions that she wanted Muslims to leave Kerala, Diya pointed to her personal relationships with members of the community. She said she has close Muslim friends and a Muslim uncle. She said she is currently in Munnar and recalled that, while travelling there, many of the people who approached her for selfies were Muslim girls.

“When I have Muslims in my family, how would anyone think I want Muslims out of Kerala? I would never say that,” she said, adding that she was Hindu and liked her religion.

Diya urged people not to create controversies around her remarks, saying she had received deeply hurtful direct messages. She also accused the media of focusing on negative interpretations rather than highlighting what she considered positive aspects of her response.

The controversy has since extended beyond Darren’s claims about Fort Kochi to the debate over Diya’s comment. While she maintains that her remark referred to Jinnah’s portrait at the cafe, her explanation has done little to prevent the comment from becoming a focus of the online backlash.