Latest news with #Govinda's
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'I stepped over the line': London YouTuber apologises after eating chicken in Iskcon restaurant; backlash persists
British-African YouTuber 'Cenzo', who sparked widespread outrage after filming himself eating KFC chicken inside Govinda's, a vegetarian restaurant run by the Iskcon temple in London, has issued a public apology days after the incident. The content creator, who has around 6,000 subscribers, admitted that he had been targeting vegan restaurants in the area as part of a prank series. In the now-viral clip, he is seen entering Govinda's while eating fried chicken, offering it to staff members, and taunting them with meat, despite being informed that the restaurant does not serve non-vegetarian food. At one point, he dangles chicken from his mouth and shouts, 'Free the chicken!' before being asked to leave the premises. Cenzo later released a video expressing regret, stating that he was unaware the restaurant was connected to a temple. He shared footage showing a man warning him that he was about to enter a temple and that the restaurant was next door. Despite the warning, Cenzo proceeded with the prank. 'If I had known that the restaurant was with the temple, I would have never filmed that prank and left,' he said. He also confirmed he had contacted the restaurant and planned to visit in person to apologise. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Lana Green Is Retiring - Her Final Jewelry Pieces Are 80% Off Artisan Weekly Read More Undo The shopkeeper, attempting to clarify further in the original video, said, 'It's a temple,' referring to the restaurant's affiliation with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), which follows strict vegetarian dietary practices based on religious beliefs. Cenzo acknowledged that his actions were 'ill-timed and irresponsible.' After the backlash, he said he "researched" the Hindu community and realised the prank had deeply offended their values. "They believe in no violence and peaceful behaviours towards animals and people. My actions came off as offensive to the community, and I would like to offer heartfelt, sincere apologies," he said. 'God knows what they must be going through, seeing themselves all over social media over something that I would call a joke but in reality, it was not a joke,' he added. His apology video drew mixed reactions online. One user commented, 'He was there to mock, it was purely intentional and done with a motive.' Another added, 'They should have sued him for being unruly and mocking the religion."
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
ISKCON's Govinda's reports social media influencer eating KFC inside Soho restaurant to police
Man eats chicken in an ISKCON restaurant LONDON: Police are investigating after a young black male YouTuber waltzed into the famous Govinda's vegan and vegetarian restaurant in Soho on Saturday, pulled out a tub of KFC and started eating chicken in front of horrified staff and guests. The restaurant is run by ISKCON UK's Radha-Krishna Temple in Soho. Temple president Dayal Mora Dasa has branded the video made by the man, since identified as a TikTok personality, as 'childish' and blamed the incident on the lack of spiritual content in Britain's education system. 'If the truth of the Gita could be taught at schools and universities then such wanton acts of aggression against innocent persons would cease,' he said. The man went into the canteen-style restaurant — often frequented by Indian students — at lunch-time and asked the Krishna devotees working there if it was a vegan restaurant. They replied 'Yes. It's a temple.' He asked, 'Are you sure there is no meat' and then opened up a bucket of KFC and ate the chicken fillets, offering them around, shouting 'Free the chicken'. A video of the incident went viral, offending Hindus worldwide, with some offering to pay to privately prosecute the man if police don't. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search Ads Get Info Undo Govinda's has reported the incident to the police. Dasa said: 'Srila Prabhupada established temple communities in many major world cities, often in some of the most degraded and dilapidated areas, because that is where the people needed his message the most. Soho street was and still is a red-light district in London and unmentionable deplorable acts are unfortunately visible every evening. Once on a British TV show the reporter asked Swamiji, 'Do you have a concept of hell in your religion?' 'Yes,' Prabhupada replied. 'London is hell.'' 'Religious leaders and govt heads have as yet failed to come up with a solution for the degradation of society, particularly amongst the youth. Due to insufficient spiritual content in their education and poor role models in society, young people are now deriving happiness from other people's misery…The incident in Govinda's was one of countless incidents… filmed and posted on social media for the morbid enjoyment of viewers and followers…,' he said. Restaurant manager Thirupati Gauranga Dasa said it was a 'clear act of provocation'. 'Since 1969, Govinda's has served as a spiritual sanctuary within the ISKCON tradition, offering karma-free meals. Bringing and consuming meat inside the premises was fundamentally misaligned with the sacred purpose of the space.'
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Badshah SLAMS Man Eating KFC In ISKCON Restaurant: ‘Even the Chicken Would Be Embarrassed'
Badshah responds to viral video of a man eating KFC chicken in ISKCON's vegetarian restaurant. The rapper slams the act, calling it disrespectful. Rapper and actor Badshah has strongly condemned a viral video that has left many Indians outraged. The video, which shows an African-British man entering Govinda's—a pure vegetarian restaurant operated by ISKCON—and eating KFC chicken inside the premises, has sparked a storm of criticism online for what many believe was a deliberate act of provocation. In the clip, the man is seen asking the restaurant staff if they serve meat. When informed that the venue is strictly vegetarian, he dramatically pulls out a KFC box from his backpack, places it on the counter, and begins eating the chicken in full view of the diners. What stirred more anger was the fact that he allegedly began offering the chicken to other patrons, many of whom were visibly uncomfortable. Horrendous. 😳😡This African-British youth entered into ISKCON's Govinda restaurant – knowingly that it's pure Veg restaurant – asked if there's meat available, then pulled out his KFC box and not only ate chicken (chewed like a 🐷), but also offered others working/eating in… — Tathvam-asi (@ssaratht) July 19, 2025 Despite being asked to leave, the man continued his antics until security was called. He was then escorted out, but not before continuing to cause a scene. As the video went viral across social media, reactions poured in, with netizens calling out the act as 'disrespectful," 'insensitive," and 'calculated." Badshah, never one to shy away from speaking his mind, took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, July 20, and posted a sharp response. He wrote, 'Even the chicken would be embarrassed. Dude wasn't hungry for chicken, he was hungry for some 🩴 on that face." Even the chicken would be embarrassed. Dude wasnt hungry for chicken, he was hungry for some 🩴 on that face. True strength is in respecting what you dont understand. — BADSHAH (@Its_Badshah) July 20, 2025 The witty yet biting comment was followed by a more reflective note. 'True strength is in respecting what you don't understand." Badshah's words seemed to resonate with many users who applauded him for calling out the act while reinforcing the importance of cultural respect. While the identity of the man in the video remains unconfirmed, the backlash has been swift and widespread. ISKCON followers and members of the public alike have expressed their disappointment, with some suggesting legal action be taken. Badshah, who has millions of followers and fans, is known for his chart-topping songs and lively social media presence. Whether it's calling out online trolls or commenting on cultural issues, the rapper often uses his platform to speak up. On the professional front, he was recently seen as a judge on the singing reality show Indian Idol and is reportedly part of the cast of the upcoming film Sunny Sanskaari Ki Tulsi Kumari, starring Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan. First Published: July 20, 2025, 22:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Mint
3 days ago
- Mint
Watch: African-British man slammed for eating chicken at London's vegetarian ISKCON restaurant
A controversy has erupted online after a video surfaced showing a man consuming chicken food inside Govinda's, a well-known pure vegetarian restaurant operated by ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) in London. The man, believed to be of African-British descent, reportedly walked into the restaurant and asked staff if they served meat. When informed that only vegetarian food is offered, he allegedly pulled out a takeaway box of chicken—reportedly from KFC—and began eating it inside the premises. He is also seen offering non-vegetarian food to both customers and staff. The video, which has now gone viral, has triggered strong reactions across social media platforms. Many users expressed anger over what they viewed as blatant disrespect towards the restaurant's spiritual and cultural values. 'This wasn't just ignorance—it was intentional disrespect,' one user wrote. "Shameful Act, he intentionally ate Chicken to offend or trigger Vegans. He Got Lucky to get away without anyone slapping him," another user wrote. Others questioned whether the act was motivated by racism or religious intolerance. "The intentional violation of a cultural and religious norm in this manner is a clear demonstration of intolerance that cannot be tolerated in any civilised society," a user commented. "Hope the complaint was filed in the local police station … Don't know if he can be arrested for this or not but this is pure hate towards Hindus and he is fully aware that Hindus won't retaliate so dared to do such a horrendous thing," the fifth wrote. ISKCON, which operates several vegetarian and vegan restaurants globally, is rooted in Hindu traditions that strictly prohibit the consumption of meat. The incident has reignited conversations about cultural sensitivity, freedom of expression, and the need for mutual respect in multicultural societies. So far, there has been no official statement from ISKCON London regarding the incident.
