By: Trends DeskNew Delhi | December 29, 2025 12:28 PM IST 3 min readIn the video, Japanese nationals can be seen donning Santa caps, with one wearing red coloured swimwear (Image source: X)A video of local residents allegedly mistreating Japanese tourists in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi has sparked a debate on social media. The incident unfolded on December 25 after devotees confronted the tourists who were reportedly preparing to take a bath in the Ganga River.In the now-viral video, Japanese nationals can be seen donning Santa caps, with one wearing red coloured swimwear. According to a report in Dainik Bhaskar, a group of local residents stopped the tourists and accused them of urinating in the river.In the video, a person can be heard saying, “Don’t you have common sense? This is our Holy River. So many people are taking a bath here. Fold your hands and apologise.” The devotees also asked the tourist to call his tour guide.As the situation escalated and the tourists felt threatened, one of the Japanese visitors apologised on the steps of Dashashwamedh Ghat.Watch the video here:Japanese tourists were mobbed, harassed, and verbally abused in Varanasi — then forced to apologise for wearing a swimsuit and a Santa Claus hat.Let that sink in.A country that claims “Atithi Devo Bhava”⁰A city that calls itself spiritual⁰Yet guests are publicly humiliated… pic.twitter.com/fDhg5lJXWe— Believer (@PredatorVolk) December 28, 2025The video quickly gained traction, igniting a debate, with several users slamming the people for mistreating the tourists. “I’m not concluding who is right or wrong here. But since they are guests of the country, we can express the concern respectfully without being rude to anyone. And it would be really great if people showed the same commitment when it comes to stopping others from littering in the same holy river,” a user wrote.“As an indian even Im ashamed of our people in many cases. Apologies for their behaviour,” another user commented. “This happened at a religious ghat in Varanasi not a beach. Changing into bikinis at a sacred site offends local religious sensibilities,” a third user reacted.Also Read | 94-year-old Kolkata artisan makes Santa dolls by hand, Anand Mahindra reacts: ‘I want to buy a signed piece at a premium’Following the incident, the Varanasi police took to social media and issued a statement from the official account of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Kashi: “Japanese tourists were questioned by other pilgrims over bathing. The tourists apologised, after which the matter was resolved peacefully. Police clarified that no physical assault took place,” it said, as reported by Dainik Bhaskar.Atul Anjaan Tripathi, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Varanasi, said a brief argument took place following a misunderstanding between the two parties. He added that both sides later spoke to each other, apologised, and resolved the issue on the spot.Story continues below this adThe ACP further stated that no formal complaint was filed by either party. The police are continuing to look into the matter to better understand the circumstances that led to the dispute, the report said. © IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:social media viralstourists