Dubai-based JW Marriott Marquis Hotel on 13 June fired celebrity chef Atul Kochhar for his tweet against Islam. Gulf News quoted Bill Keffer, the general manager of JW Marriott Marquis Hotel as saying: “Following the recent comments made by Chef Atul Kochhar, we have taken the decision to end our agreement with him for Rang Mahal. With the termination of our agreement, Chef Atul will no longer be associated with the restaurant.”
The London-based Indian-origin chef behind the Rang Mahal restaurant in Islamic-majority UAE, courted controversy after he criticised actor Priyanka Chopra over an episode of her American show Quantico, that purportedly portrayed Hindu nationalists as terrorists.
“It’s sad to see that you (Priyanka) have not respected the sentiments of Hindus who have been terrorized by Islam over 2000 years. Shame on You (sic),” Kochhar had tweeted.
Kochhar later deleted the tweet and apologised for the "major error" .
Later on 12 June, Kochhar again took to Twitter to express his regret over his earlier tweet.
Kochhar Could Face Prosecution: Report
Dubai-based lawyer Yamini Rajesh told Arab News that Kochhar could also be prosecuted for his tweet and that the UAE’s anti-discriminatory law criminialises discrimination in all forms based on religion, faith, race, or colour and if convicted the punishment could mean imprisonment up to five years, and a fine ranging anywhere between 500,000 to 1 million dirhams.
Rajesh added that the employer too could face legal action, over Kochhar’s tweet, as UAE law holds the employer accountable for the actions of the employees.
Earlier, JW Marriot hotel, where Kochhar’s restaurant is based distanced itself from the chef's comments.
Twitter Calls Out Kochhar for Islamophobic Tweet
Kochhar’s anti-Islam tweet created a furore on social media, with Twitterati calling for firing the chef.
Not Kochhar’s First Brush With Controversy
Some Twitter users have dug up several other problematic tweets posted by Kochhar.
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