Watch: ISKCON Devotees Chant 'Hare Krishna' Outside KFC In Response To YouTuber's Prank Video

NDTV

5 days ago

A controversy erupted after a video surfaced online showing a young African-British man eating chicken inside ISKCON's Govinda restaurant in London, a well-known pure vegetarian eatery. The clip quickly went viral, drawing widespread criticism on social media. The man later issued an apology, claiming he was unaware of the restaurant's religious significance and admitted the prank was in poor taste. Despite the apology, internet users slammed the act as disrespectful and labelled it racist for disregarding the establishment's spiritual ethos.
Now, just days after the incident, another video is making waves online - this time showing ISKCON devotees standing outside a KFC outlet, chanting "Hare Rama Hare Krishna". The moment, shared on X, is being dubbed by users as the "coolest revenge."
"They come to our restaurants to harass us, & we come to uplift their consciousness," the caption of the post read.
Watch the video below:
They come to our restaurants to harass us, & we come to uplift their consciousness. 🙌 Hare Kṛṣṇa pic.twitter.com/7dQm5D42qx
— Senāpati Bhakta (@bhaktSenapati) July 22, 2025
The clip shows ISKCON devotees chanting the lord's name as a response to the man's act and spreading the message of choosing consciousness over rage.
Separately, ISKCON released an official statement addressing the incident. "We forgive and sincerely pray for the perpetrators of this undignified act, who, due to ignorance, are probably unaware or simply don't care about the pain they are causing by making such childish videos," the statement read.
Official statement from ISKCON London due to recent social media influencer incident at Govinda's Restaurant, Soho Street, London. pic.twitter.com/cgWHs575FS
— ISKCON London Radha-Krishna Temple (@iskconlondon) July 21, 2025
The African-British man has been identified as YouTuber 'Cenzo'. In his apology, Cenzo claimed he was unaware of the restaurant's religious links, despite being seen near the ISKCON temple just minutes before entering Govinda's. He admitted the act was a misguided attempt at humour and has since removed the video.
ISKCON, or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, is a spiritual organisation founded in 1966 by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It is based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and the ancient Vedic scriptures of India. ISKCON's primary focus is on promoting Krishna consciousness, a devotion-based practice that emphasises love, compassion, and self-realisation.
The latest incident triggered discussions about the responsibilities of content creators, cultural respect in multicultural societies, and the impact of prank culture on community harmony.