Kolkata: The arrest of a waiter from a Park Street restaurant in Kolkata on charges of hurting religious sentiments has sparked a wider debate over policing standards and proportionality under the West Bengal government. The controversy follows allegations by a social media influencer that he was mistakenly served beef instead of mutton, leading to the waiter’s arrest under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). To avoid unrest, the OlyPub, a heritage restaurant, was shut on Saturday (January 31).According to the now-deleted video posted on social media, the influencer, Sayak Chakraborty, began recording after realising the alleged error. In the video, he is seen invoking his “Brahmin roots” and questioning why “forbidden” meat was served to him. He is also heard interrogating the waiter about his religious identity, filming him without consent, and making aggressive remarks.Also read: Why Uniformed Army Personnel at Baba Bageshwar Event Have Alarmed VeteransAt one point, Sayak allegedly stated what would happen if pork were forcibly fed to the Muslim waiter, a comment that many have described as threatening and communal. Despite the waiter being seen apologising repeatedly and admitting a mistake, the influencer later lodged a complaint at Park Street Police Station, following which the waiter was arrested and sent to judicial custody.The police action has drawn comparisons with the December 2025 incident in which a Muslim vendor, Riyajul Sheikh, was physically assaulted by Hindutva activists over allegations that chicken patties were sold as vegetarian food at a “Gita Path” programme in Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground. Despite violence being involved in that case, the legal response was widely seen as lenient, with assaulters getting quick bail. The restaurant at the centre of the controversy, OlyPub, is owned by a Parsi family and has, for decades, served both beef and pork. Regular patrons point out that people visit the establishment precisely for its variety of meat dishes and that its staff includes both Hindus and Muslims. The management admitted an error but rejected allegations of intent. “We accept that this was a mistake on the part of the waiter, and we admit the error,” the restaurant manager said. “We apologise that customers at this heritage restaurant of Kolkata were not mentally satisfied with our service. But the allegation that he was deliberately fed beef is completely untrue.”The incident has also revived familiar communal narratives, with sections on social media attempting to discourage people from eating at Muslim-run establishments. This has drawn strong pushback from the civil society, who have condemned what they describe as illogical arguments and hate-driven propaganda.Actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee criticised the influencer’s actions on social media.“Despite strong dislike, I kept quiet. But this time it’s no longer possible. What Sayak has done now is incitement to violence and an attempt to disturb the peace of the state. As the brother of a journalist, I do not believe he did this without understanding the consequences… Please choose who to celebrate. Choose your celebrity wisely.”Filmmaker Ayan Chakraborty was rather sarcastic. He said, “If someone eats a beef steak at OlyPub thinking it is mutton, it’s better that he doesn’t eat mutton at all. Because there is a proverb that says, crows do not eat crow’s meat.”Interestingly, several of Sayak Chakraborty’s videos posted on social media show him wearing a traditional Muslim skull cap while attending religious gatherings such as Eid celebrations and Ijtema. Photo: Facebook.Interestingly, several of Sayak’s earlier videos posted on social media platforms show him wearing a traditional Muslim skull cap while attending religious gatherings such as Eid celebrations and Itzema. The Wire can confirm that he recently participated in a social media influencers’ meet organised by the BJP’s state leadership. One of Sayak’s close friends, who was present at the restaurant that night, had shared a video of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on social media just a few hours earlier, urging people to vote for the party in the forthcoming state assembly elections.Facing backlash on social media, Sayak later deleted the video. By then BJP leaders had begun circulating it on their own social media platforms, pushing a narrative around the alleged intent behind the episode.BJP leader and actor Rudranil Ghosh rotew on social media, “If pork were served to a Muslim in this manner, what do you think would have happened? Would it have been resolved with a mere “sorry”? Park Street itself would have been wiped off the map. The incident took place last night at a restaurant on Park Street. There was a protest over the incident – “politely”. Because Hindus, after all, take great pride in clinging to humility and civility. If they protest loudly, they are branded as “extreme Hindutva”! Today it’s beef on the plate, tomorrow it’s a demographic change!!!”Several Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders have also come in support of the waiter, however, they avoided condemning or questioning the police action. “What we eat is our own freedom. If there is a mistake in serving food, recording a video and publicising it is clearly intentional. Such provocation is not desirable in our state,” said TMC leader Trinankur Bhattacharya, while declining to comment on the arrest itself.Both Congress and the Left attacked the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government for the police action.Also read: ‘In a Rickshaw, If the Fare is Rs 5, Give Them Rs 4’: Assam CM Himanta Urges People to Trouble ‘Miyas’“The waiter’s actions have not been proven to be intentional, and he was seen apologising repeatedly. The video shows a conscious and provocative threat to force a person of another religion to consume forbidden food, which constitutes an offence in a secular country. Why no FIR has been filed against the YouTuber despite the clear provocation,” questioned the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader Sujan Chakraborty. Congress spokesperson Soumya Aich Roy told The Wire, “Instead of properly investigating a complaint, a poor waiter has been arrested. Why won’t the police conduct a full investigation of the incident? Why won’t they examine the video and interrogate the young man? Frenzy is being used to spread religious division across the country.” On Saturday evening, civil activist Joyraj Bhattacarya filed a formal complaint against Sayak, “I have seen the video, and it appears to me that it was deliberately creating communal intolerance. As a citizen, I have filed a complaint against this.” On Sunday (February 1), members of civil society organised a demonstration at Park Street Police Station to demand the waiter’s immediate release. As the debate intensifies, attention has shifted from a disputed serving error to larger questions about selective enforcement, unequal application of the law, and whether viral outrage is increasingly dictating police action in the state. Translated from Bangla to English by Aparna Bhattacharya.