An Indian-origin chef in Dubai has come under fire for his 'anti-Islamic' tweet criticising Priyanka Chopra's Quantico.
Michelin-star chef Atul Kochhar of the Rang Mahal restaurant at the JW Marriot Marquis hotel tweeted- "It's sad to see that you have not respected the sentiments of Hindus who have been terrorised by Islam over 2,000 years. Shame on You (sic)," on Sunday.
The controversial episode portrayed Hindu nationalists as terrorists.
Kochhar later deleted the tweet and put out an apology, saying the "major error" was "made in the heat of the moment on Sunday".
"There is no justification for my tweet ... I fully recognise my inaccuracies that Islam was founded around 1,400 years ago and I sincerely apologise. I am not Islamophobic, I deeply regret my comments that have offended many," he wrote.
JW Marriot hotel distanced itself from the chef's comments. "We are aware of the comments made by Chef Atul Kochhar. We would like to stress that we do not share the same views as stated in the remark, nor is it a representation of the culture of diversity and inclusion that we pride ourselves on at the hotel," the hotel tweeted on Monday.
The tweet caused a furore on social media in the country, with many users calling on JW Marriot to fire the chef, and other saying they would boycott the restaurant.
Responding to the hotel's tweet, a Twitter user, Irena Akbar, said: "But now that there is a clear clash of values (your tolerance vs his bigotry), how can you carry on such a relationship? His contract should be snapped."
Popular commentator and Arab journalist Khaled Almaeena tweeted: "You (Kochhar) have offended me... As a person who loves India its people no matter what their caste or creed. As a secular and liberal, it truly is a horror statement."
Following the episode, Priyanka Chopra has offered an apology, while the channel ABC has defended the actress. The company has also offered an apology, asking fans not to target Priyanka over something "that was not her fault".
[With inputs from ANI]
