A viral video showing a group of Indian men chanting political and regional slogans near a street performer in Paris has triggered widespread backlash on social media, with many criticising their public conduct abroad.
The video, filmed in the crowded Montmartre area of the French capital, shows one man placing his arm around a mime performer and loudly shouting slogans such as Jai Maharashtra, Jai Shiv Sena, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki Jai. Others in the group soon join in.
The mime, who relies on silent performance and expressive gestures, appears visibly uncomfortable and is seen repeatedly asking them to stop, but the chanting continues.
In the clip, the man initially poses for a photograph with the performer before raising his voice again, ignoring the artist’s requests for quiet.
At one point, slogans praising Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde can also be heard, leading some social media users to speculate that the group may be linked to Shinde’s home region of Thane.
The incident has reignited debate about civic sense, respect for local culture, and appropriate behaviour by tourists in public spaces.
Reacting to the video, writer Suraj Kumar Bauddh posted on X that the group had harassed a street performer who was peacefully doing his job and showed no respect for his personal space.
Other users described the behaviour as shameful and accused the group of ignoring clear signals from the performer to stop.