Travel content creator and former actor Shenaz Treasury has reacted after being trolled for criticising India’s cleanliness and claiming that the country is “losing its tourism” because of poor hygiene and littering.
Shenaz Treasury’s Sri Lanka vlog sparks debate
It all started after Shenaz shared a video on Instagram comparing public cleanliness in Sri Lanka and India. In the clip, she praised Sri Lanka for maintaining cleaner public spaces and attracting more foreign tourists. She stressed that even though Sri Lanka is right next to India, it has more ‘foreign tourists and good quality tourists’ who spend money. Why? Because they are clean, she noted.
Pointing towards the dustbins at a railway station, she added, “Look at the dustbins they have at the station. Look at the number of foreigners travelling. India is losing its tourism because we are dirty. I mean, we could have so many tourists in India, but we don’t. Because, let’s face it, we are the dirtiest country in the world.”
In the caption, Shenaz further questioned why littering and spitting continue to be normalised in India. “A patriotic country is not just about flags and slogans. It is about respecting the land,” she wrote.
She also asked why stricter penalties were not imposed on people who litter or spit in public spaces. “Why does our government not fine people for throwing trash everywhere and spitting???? Why are we accepting filth as normal? Why are rivers full of plastic? Why are tourists seeing garbage beside mountains, beaches and temples? Why are we not shaming litterbugs?” she wrote.
She also claimed that the neighbouring country welcomed around 2.36 million tourists in 2025 and earned over $3.2 billion from tourism. She said that many travellers describe Sri Lanka as having “cleaner streets, less chaos and better tourist experience”.
However, Shenaz’s remarks triggered sharp reactions online, with many social media users accusing her of insulting India and exaggerating the issue.
“Ye wahi log hai jo bahar jake gyan pelte hai or yaha pe rule follow nhi krte,” one user wrote. “y u comparing other country and dumping ur own country and calling urself patriotic,” commented another.
(Also Read: Watch: Bengaluru IT couple swims from Sri Lanka to India in 11 hours, internet calls them ‘Legends’)
Shenaz Treasury reacts to criticism
Reacting to the criticism, Shenaz defended her comments through a series of Instagram Stories and said that she stood by her views. “You can troll me but… I stand by what I said. India is beautiful but too many people still spit and throw garbage everywhere. The only way things change is strict fines for littering and spitting,” she wrote.
In another post in Hindi, she said, “Tum mujhe troll kar lo, anti national bol lo… par sach yeh hai ki India mein log har jagah thookte hain aur kacha phekte hain. Aur iska solution sirf ek hai: heavy fine. Thookoge ya kachra phekoge = pocket pe maar,” she added.
Shenaz further argued that patriotism should include demanding cleaner streets, cleaner air and better civic behaviour. “Patriotism is not blindly accepting garbage, polluting, honking, paan stains and tree cutting. Real patriotism is wanting better for your country. Wanting clean streets. Clean air. Walkable cities. More tress. Less noise. Less filth. Real patriotism is speaking up instead of saying ‘chalta hai’. And the people trolling me for saying the truth? You are not protecting India. You are protecting bad behaviour. Jai hind!” she wrote.
