Self-styled ‘comedian’ Daniel Fernandes, who has previously been criticized for making controversial remarks targeting Hindu and Jain communities, has once again found himself at the center of a storm—this time for accusing Indians of harboring hate after a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians.
In his new YouTube special titled “The Kashmir Terror Attack,” released on 22 May 2025, Fernandes appeared to equate public anger and calls for justice with hatred and bigotry, provoking sharp backlash. Many took issue with his mocking tone and insensitivity, especially as he framed Indians demanding accountability for the attack as being motivated by hatred towards Pakistanis.
In the video, Fernandes states, “Anger and fear are the two very powerful emotions and these emotions are very valid during a conflict. But the answer to how one must conduct themselves in times like these is located right in the middle. And that is what I felt was missing in our discourse. There was no middle ground. And if you are unable to find a middle ground between anger and fear, it will most likely turn into hate. And oh Lord, we don’t need more of that in this country, do we? India has too much hate already. Don’t you agree? We have a surplus of hate. India has so much hate right now. We can export it. We can export it to countries like Norway and Finland. Too much happiness over there, right? I think we need to just calm down with the hate, dude. Like today a lot of people are saying things like if you are a true Indian, you must hate all Pakistanis, which was very confusing for me because for the last 11 years, I thought you were a true Indian if you hated other Indians. I did not know that there was a software update. If you saw the rhetoric online, it was very aggressive, right? It was like Pakistan should be wiped out. Kill all of them. Destroy that entire country.”
Fernandes also drew criticism for his misogynistic joke, trivializing the situation by referring to the attractiveness of Pakistani women as a reason not to hate the country and also went on to sarcastically question the current definition of patriotism, “And I was like, but there are hot women there, right? A lot of them, you know, like I understand, okay, if Pakistan was full of uglies, I’ll be like, yeah, I’ll press the button. You know, but why, right? Like ladies, even you know what I’m talking about, right? A bunch of you are following a lot of these Pakistani men simply because they have fluorescent pink eyes or some like that right beautiful people need to live like I don’t understand how hating another country has become the barometer for patriotism.”
He concluded his monologue with a message that further angered many, equating online anger directed at Pakistan with terrorism, “I can unequivocally support the Indian army condemn the Pakistani army and their government for aiding and abetting terrorists without wishing for the death of innocent civilians on the other side. That is the textbook definition of empathy. Wishing for the death of innocent people and mass is the textbook definition of terrorism.”
Stand-up comedian Daniel Fernandes insults Indians by labeling them hateful. He didn't stop there — & went further to call Indians as terrorists for hating Pakistanis.
Arrest him ASAP @Dev_Fadnavis @DGPMaharashtra pic.twitter.com/PqxEzPbdwq
— BALA (@erbmjha) May 23, 2025
What shocked many even further was Daniel Fernandes characterizing the Indian Army’s response—following Operation Sindoor, which targeted terrorists and provoked retaliation from the Pakistani military—as a “military offense.” This framing drew widespread criticism for seemingly equating India’s counter-terror operation with aggression, rather than a legitimate act of defense.
In his own words, Fernandes stated, “I have very few friends, and I recently got into an argument with one of them about the same thing. We were discussing the conflict, and the conversation was about whether India should escalate or deescalate its military offense. My friend believed India should escalate. I was of the opinion that we should deescalate because I felt that with Operation Sindoor, we had already made our point.”
Daniel Fernandes further inflamed public outrage by making distasteful remarks about the victims of the terror attack, appearing to mock their deaths with an ill-judged joke about being “lucky” to have a Ghibli-style tribute.
During his performance, Fernandes said, “He was like, Dan, what if one of your family members was killed by a terrorist? Would you still want peace? And I thought to myself, who doesn’t have one or two family members they wouldn’t mind seeing shot… Obviously, I didn’t say that because it’s insensitive. I’m only sharing it with you because I trust you. But that is a very valid question and I think that is a question every Indian should ask themselves. What if one of your family members was killed by a terrorist?” He then added, sarcastically, “I would be heartbroken. I would be devastated. I would be a wreck. But if I was lucky, somebody would create a Ghibli image of my dead relative so I can have a memento—because who doesn’t like one during a tragedy, right?”
This attempt at dark humor, aimed at portraying grief through satire, was met with visible discomfort from the audience, who largely withheld laughter. Many critics have condemned the segment as insensitive and tasteless, accusing Fernandes of trivializing the pain of the victims’ families and using mockery in the face of national tragedy.
"Who doesn't have one or two family members they wouldn't mind shooting to death?"
I feel sorry for his family. This rice bag convert @absolutelydanny is mocking the death of 26 Hindus. Its shocking how the audience is laughing at it. @DGPMaharashtra @MumbaiPolice pic.twitter.com/xiKBbRiWB4
— BALA (@erbmjha) May 23, 2025
Critics contend that Daniel Fernandes’ comments minimize the seriousness of terrorist threats and discredit the Indian Armed Forces’ legitimate actions by portraying their retaliatory response as unwarranted aggression rather than justified self-defense. Furthermore, his insensitive and crude jokes about the victims who lost their lives in the attack have been widely condemned as deeply disrespectful and in poor taste, with many accusing him of crossing the line between satire and sheer insensitivity.
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