On Saturday, 26th October, videos of an “influencer”, identified as Sachin Kumar, who goes by the handle “Sachin Raj Viral” on Instagram and Facebook, went viral. In the videos, Sachin was seen harassing tourists at New Delhi’s India Gate.
The videos have caused widespread outrage since yesterday. The clips showed Sachin repeatedly attempting to film dance reels with tourists who were visibly trying to avoid him. Such videos have raised serious concerns about the treatment and safety of foreign visitors in India among the online community, who have called for immediate police action.
Instagram Reels by the ‘influencer’
The video captured tourists visiting India Gate with their families and enjoying their day out. Suddenly, Sachin appears in the video and starts dancing to Bhojpuri songs, attempting to involve the tourists for his social media content. The tourists are visibly uncomfortable in the videos and are seen trying to walk away while he continues to follow them, repeatedly attempting to make them participate in the reels. In one of the videos, which was among the first to go viral on social media, the father of a foreign tourist intervened, after which Sachin retreated.
After learning about the account, OpIndia reviewed his profile and found several problematic videos. Notably, Sachin has 1.6 lakh followers on Instagram and 68,000 followers on Facebook, indicating his content is being “loved” by several social media users. Here are some of the videos from India Gate fiasco where he was seen harassing different tourist groups.
In this video, he suddenly tried to touch feet of a tourist and the man accompanying them was visibly angry.
In this video, he kept pushing a Russian group to join him in dancing.
In the following video, he danced around a foreign tourist couple who was already being harassed by another vlogger.
Netizens demand action against the influencer
The viral videos of Sachin harassing tourists has triggered a wave of anger on the social media platform X. Several netizens have expressed shame and frustration at his behaviour. Netizens tagged the Delhi Police and the Tourism Ministry, demanding immediate action against Sachin and stricter enforcement of regulations at tourist sites. The reaction from netizens indicates growing frustration over the trend of creating viral “reels” at the expense of others’ privacy and comfort, especially when tourists become targets.
The video was initially shared by social media influencer Maxtern. He wrote, “Dear Delhi Police this guy Sachin Raj is harassing foreign girls just to go viral and is degrading the name of India. Please take immediate action.”
Dear @DelhiPolice, this guy Sachin Raj is harassing foreign girls just to go viral and is degrading the name of India.
— Maxtern (@RealMaxtern) October 26, 2024
Please take immediate action. His Instagram will be attached below! (Must retweet) pic.twitter.com/r8OyUd0UCT
Replying to him, popular X handle ThePlacardGuy wrote, “This dude’s entire feed is filled with him harassing people in the name of content creation. When can we expect an action on him and his ilks.”
This dude’s entire feed is filled with him harassing people in the name of content creation. When can we expect an action on him and his ilks @DelhiPolice ? pic.twitter.com/4V5Zc8Kcp2
— Madhur (@ThePlacardGuy) October 26, 2024
X user Kumar Rao wrote, “Dear Delhi Police, this guy Sachin Raj is harassing foreign girls just to go viral and is degrading the name of India.
Dear @DelhiPolice, this guy Sachin Raj is harassing foreign girls just to go viral and is degrading the name of India.
— 🅚🅤🅜🅐🅡 𝕏 🅡🅐🅞 Ð (@kumarrao15) October 26, 2024
Please take immediate action. His Instagram will be attached below! Must #retweet#Delhi #Police pic.twitter.com/eS6rzvdWvd
Another X user Shri Krishna Sena wrote, “Dear Bihar Police, this guy Sachin Raj is harassing foreign girls just to go viral and is degrading the name of India.”
Dear @bihar_police @BegusaraiPolice, this guy Sachin Raj is harassing foreign girls just to go viral and is degrading the name of India.
— Shri_Krishna_Sena (@Shri_krishna32) October 26, 2024
Please take immediate action. His Instagram will be attached below! (Must retweet) pic.twitter.com/xeZhDKPOVC
Reel culture and India’s tourism image
India has a long history of the ethos of “Atithi Devo Bhavah,” which means the guest is like a God. Millions of tourists visit India every year to experience its culture, heritage, and renowned hospitality. For most, the experience is warm and welcoming. However, the unchecked rise of “reel culture” and the desire to go viral with “cringe content” has escalated over the past few years. Social media users have increasingly sought fame by creating sensational content, often disregarding personal boundaries, and it has become a troubling issue. Incidents like these harm India’s reputation and can discourage foreign tourists from visiting.
To prevent such harassment, the Tourism Ministry and local authorities must enforce stronger rules at tourist spots, reinforcing a respectful and safe environment. Police presence at major attractions can help curb these incidents, while public awareness campaigns could educate citizens on respecting the privacy and comfort of others.
