AGARTALA: A belated apology from Delhi-based content creator Amir Shokeen failed to calm public anger in Tripura on Wednesday, as youth bodies and senior politicians demanded his immediate arrest over a September 19, 2026 video recorded in Delhi that allegedly shows him racially abusing and inappropriately touching a Tripura youth.
Viewing the episode as part of a continuous pattern of Northeast Indians being humiliated in mainland cities for social media views, the Youth Tipra Federation (YTF) filed a police complaint in Agartala to ensure strict legal accountability.
According to the police complaint and student press statements, the controversy erupted after a video uploaded on September 19, 2026, via Shokeen’s social media accounts went viral across the Northeast on Tuesday. In the footage recorded in the national capital, the self-proclaimed content creator allegedly targeted an indigenous young man from Tripura with degrading remarks about his physical features and regional background.
After the youth stated that he belonged to Tripura, Shokeen reportedly mocked him with racial slurs such as “Chinese” and “chinky,” compared him to Michael Jackson and the President of China, and twisted the historic name of Tripura into an obscene slur. Moreover, the video allegedly shows Shokeen making offensive gestures and inappropriately touching the young man’s private parts under the guise of recording online comedy.
Following widespread condemnation across the region, Shokeen posted an apology on social media claiming that the youth had previously worked at a friend’s cafe in Ahmedabad and that the video was merely a lighthearted exchange between the two. Maintaining that he respected everyone and had no intention of hurting anyone’s feelings, the creator apologized with folded hands to the people of Tripura and stated that brotherhood remained his top priority.
However, indigenous youth organizations and political leaders rejected the explanation, pointing out that citizens from the Northeast continuously face racial profiling, humiliation, and violence in mainland metropolitan cities. The latest incident has revived painful memories of past racial attacks in mainland India, including the December 2025 killing of 24-year-old Tripura MBA student Anjel Chakma in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, who died after being stabbed when he objected to racial taunts.
On Wednesday, the Youth Tipra Federation lodged a formal complaint with the Officer-in-Charge of the New Capital Complex (NCC) Police Station in Kunjaban, Agartala. The complaint sought the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Shokeen for cyberbullying, racial harassment, hate speech, and defamation.
The youth body demanded legal action under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) covering intentional insult, public mischief, outraging dignity, and promoting enmity between groups. In its submission, YTF stated that labeling indigenous Indian citizens with racial slurs and questioning their nationality violates their constitutional rights and creates a hostile environment for Northeast residents living in cities like Delhi. Calling racism a crime rather than humor, the organization urged Agartala police to coordinate urgently with cybercrime authorities and Delhi Police to initiate arrest proceedings.
Meanwhile, Head of Tripura’s erstwhile royal family, Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, strongly condemned the creator on social media for insulting the people of the state and distorting Tripura’s historic name. He called upon youth bodies including YTF, the Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF), and the Tipra Indigenous Students’ Federation (TISF) to file formal cases and demanded that a police team be dispatched to arrest the accused.
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Speaking to media personnel, Debbarma acknowledged that Shokeen had apologized, but emphasized that calling people from the state Chinese or chinky and excusing it as a viral joke was unacceptable. He noted that such mockery inflicts deep emotional harm, adding that attaching a vulgar word to an ancient state revered in the name of Goddess Tripura Sundari insulted both tribal and non-tribal residents alike.
Observing that offenders routinely mock Tripura because they view it as a small state, Debbarma remarked that if a similar incident had occurred involving Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma would have promptly sent Assam Police to bring the culprit to book, suggesting Tripura should adopt the same firm approach.
Leaders across the political spectrum echoed the demand for tough policing. Tripura Leader of the Opposition and CPI(M) Politburo Member Jitendra Chaudhury stated on social media that Shokeen must immediately kneel and offer an unconditional apology to the victim, the Tiprasa community, the people of Tripura, and the entire Northeast region. Describing the creator as a parasitic and racist influencer who showed utter contempt for a fellow citizen, Chaudhury urged Delhi Police to arrest and prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law so that no one dares to insult the state and its indigenous people again.
Senior Congress MLA Birajit Sinha also condemned the video, describing the normalization of racial profiling and sexual harassment against Northeast Indians on social media platforms as deeply disturbing. Referring to multiple past instances of racial abuse and fatal violence, including the death of Anjel Chakma, Sinha appealed to Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha and the state police to pursue the matter legally and secure the harshest punishment for the offender.
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Similarly, BJP Tripura State Secretary Devid Debbarma denounced the derogatory remarks and unparliamentary language audible in the clip, noting that the abuse offended the dignity of the Tiprasa community and the wider Northeast. He urged the Chief Minister of Tripura to take immediate cognisance, order a formal probe, ensure the registration of an FIR, and book Shokeen under all applicable laws, including statutory provisions protecting members of the Scheduled Tribes.
Additionally, TIPRA Motha MLA, Paul Dangshu, appealed to Delhi Police and the Delhi Chief Minister’s Office to take immediate legal action, stressing that authorities must ensure people from the Northeast can study and work across the country without fear of racial discrimination.
It is learned that the Twipra Students’ Federation had earlier issued a press statement on October 20, 2026, raising serious concern over the alleged inappropriate physical contact shown in the footage. TSF stated that the conduct violated personal dignity and bodily autonomy, asserting that the identity and heritage of Tripura cannot be treated as a target for ridicule or entertainment.
While demanding a thorough and impartial police investigation to verify the video and hold the creator accountable, the student union clarified that it opposes mob justice and appealed to media houses and the public to protect the victim’s privacy and identity.
Members of the legal fraternity also weighed in on the recurring mistreatment of Northeast citizens in mainland India. Advocate Rakhu Das stated that residents of Tripura are proud Indians rather than outsiders or Chinese nationals, asserting that mocking regional identity is an act of racism rather than content creation, and called for Shokeen’s immediate arrest over the shameful incident in Delhi.
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