Atul Kochhar tweet: Chef sacked from Dubai hotel restaurant over tweet claiming Muslims have 'terrorised' Hindus for thousands of years

Atul Kochhar won a Michelin star for his Benares restaurant in London
Eddie Keogh/Reuters
Tom Powell14 June 2018

Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar has been sacked by a Dubai hotel after he claimed Muslims have “terrorised” Hindus for thousands of years.

The JW Marriott Marquis Hotel dropped the celebrity chef over comments he posted on Twitter, aimed at actress Priyanka Chopra.

The London-based chef was reacting to a controversial episode of US TV show Quantico, in which Chopra stars, which depicted a terrorist plot hatched by Hindu nationalists.

“It’s sad to see that you have not respected the sentiments of Hindus who have been terrorized by Islam over 2000 years. Shame on You,” he wrote.

Mr Kochhar, who recently appeared on the BBC’s Million Dollar Menu, deleted the tweet and apologised later that day.

“There is no justification for my tweet, a major error made in the heat of the moment on Sunday,” he said.

“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 later added that his tweets were "insensitive and wrong" and apologised "unreservedly to my Muslim friends, the Islamic community and everyone I offended."

But the Dubai hotel which houses his Rang Mahal restaurant terminated his contract on Wednesday, following a fierce backlash and threats to boycott the establishment.

Mr Kochhar described the move as “deeply upsetting” but accepted "the great pain I have caused and the difficult position the hotel has been put in".

Thousands of people have taken to Twitter to criticise Mr Kochhar over the comments, branding them "unacceptable".

Zohra Khaku, CEO of Halal Gems, said: "We are disappointed to see Chef Atul Kochhar's message judging Islam to be 'terrorising', especially since his restaurants benefit from Muslim clientele and the Muslim pound."

In 2007, he became the second Indian chef to earn a Michelin star for his restaurant Benares in Mayfair, London.

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