'Hare Krishna' chants outside KFC as ISKCON devotees protest YouTuber's video

India Today

4 days ago

A video of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) devotees chanting the 'Hare Krishna' mantra outside a KFC outlet has gone viral. This came after a British YouTuber, known as Cenzo, shared a clip of himself eating chicken from a KFC bucket inside Govinda's - ISKCON's popular vegetarian restaurant in London - sparking outrage.The video, originally posted by Manjari Gopika - an ISCKON devotee based in London - on Instagram, has garnered over millions of views online. advertisement"In this Age of Kali, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord. There is no other way. No other way. No other way," she said in the caption of her video, adding, "This shows that regardless of background, caste, or past habits, including meat-eating, everyone can take shelter of the Holy Name."
Take a look at the post here: Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@manjari.gopika.ids)The viral clip, widely condemned, showed Cenzo deliberately eating chicken inside the restaurant and taunting Govinda's staff, despite being informed that the place follows strict vegetarian and religious dietary practices. The act, recorded as part of a prank video, drew backlash for its disregard toward Hindu sentiments and spiritual values.In response, ISKCON devotees were seen chanting outside a KFC outlet in a peaceful demonstration, even inviting staff to join them.The step was praised online as a 'cool and dignified' response. 'What a wonderful way to protest. Though KFC didn't do anything, the message was delivered loud and clear,' a user commented.'They come to our restaurants to harass us, and we come to uplift their consciousness. Hare Krishna,' an ISKCON follower said on X while sharing the video.See the comments here:Facing severe backlash, Cenzo reportedly issued an apology after removing the video. 'If I had known that the restaurant was linked to the temple, I would have never filmed that prank. I stepped over the line by eating chicken in a vegan restaurant associated with the Hindu community. My actions were ill-timed and irresponsible,' he said.Watch the apology video here: The incident sparked debates around cultural sensitivity, the ethics of prank content, and the responsibility that comes with a digital platform in multicultural spaces.- EndsMust Watch