'Need to detoxify myself': Diya Krishna quits Instagram temporarily amid backlash over commenting on Fort Kochi video

Diya Krishna, daughter of actor and BJP politician Krishnakumar, has announced a short break from Instagram, saying she needs to distance herself from the negativity on social media after facing backlash over her comment on a North Indian influencer’s video about Fort Kochi.

“I realised no matter how much of a true, kind and good-hearted person you are, some people inside social media can tear you apart if they don’t like you. It can even destroy relationships,” she wrote in an Instagram Story. “Saying goodbye to Instagram for a short while. Need to detoxify myself from this negativity. To everyone who loved me so far, thank you. I’ll forever be grateful to you! Adios,” she added.

The controversy erupted after Diya commented “Sad reality” under a video posted by influencer Amrit Singh Darren, who criticised aspects of Fort Kochi’s social and cultural landscape. Her comment drew criticism from social media users who felt it appeared to endorse his remarks about the area.

Darren’s video, filmed at Kashi Art Cafe in Fort Kochi, questioned the display of Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait alongside Mahatma Gandhi’s, objected to the sale of beef, and alleged that Muslims dominate businesses in the area while local right-wing residents live in fear.

As the criticism mounted, Diya deleted her comment and posted a clarification video on social media. She said she had watched only the portion of Darren’s video featuring Kashi Art Cafe and had not seen the latter part, in which he made claims about Fort Kochi’s Muslim population and alleged that local residents lived in fear.

Diya explained that her comment was intended to question the display of Jinnah’s portrait alongside Gandhi’s. She also maintained that she had no objections to the Muslim community and expressed distress over the criticism directed at her and what she described as distorted media reports.