Many took to Twitter and other social media to denounce CNN for airing the episode and said it amounted to airing fake news. The program, Believer with Reza Aslan, a six-episode "spiritual adventure series", had also riled a number of Hindu Americans, who were furious at CNN for airing a show that portrays Hinduism in a negative light.
"This is a disgusting attack on Hinduism. I condemn @rezaaslan, CNN for airing Believer with fiction. Disgusting attack on Hindus for supporting @POTUS @stephenkbannon @newtgingrich," said Shalabh Kumar, an Indian American and top supporter of US President Donald Trump in the diaspora.
"With multiple reports of hate-fueled attacks against people of Indian origin from across the US, the show characterizes Hinduism as cannibalistic, which is a bizarre way of looking at the third largest religion in the world," the US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) said in a statement.
Reza Aslan was also ridiculed for claiming that his CNN team was "the first TV crew to be allowed to film from inside the burning ghats of Varanasi". A feat which has been done several times by Indian news TV crews, since Varanasi aka Banaras is the parliamentary constituency of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
