A man who was accused of stirring up tensions in Leicester has offered an apology to the Hindu community if it felt as he was 'mocking' their beliefs.

In an interview with Channel 4 News Mohammed Hijab, said his presence in the city could have been seen as 'provocative'.

He said: “Potentially you are right, I’ll give you that, maybe what I did needs refinement. 

“I think it's fair for us to say also that there is a different reaction from the press when a Muslim decides to show or express themselves in political ways, than there is from other people.”

Híjab was also accused of mocking reincarnation, a key tenet of the Hindu faith, he responded: “I wasn't actually mocking reincarnation in that situation, I was saying that IF I believed in reincarnation. I have to offer my apologies to the entire community if it sounded like I was mocking.” 

Asked why he went to Leicester from his home in London, Hijab replied: “For two reasons, fundamentally, one of them is to actually kind of ease tensions and deescalate the situation. 

“I wanted to let people know, the young people that I knew I had an influence on, not to break the law and this is very clear on the public record that I said this, ‘don’t vandalise things, don’t break the law’.”

Hijab, added:“If young Muslim men, they feel alienated to the point where they can't even be heard, or that their side of the story is not even told, I think that is a pathway to extremism, unfortunately.”

Asked if his trip to Leicester was motivated by the desire to drive more traffic to his YouTube videos Hijab said: “Yeah, that's something I have to struggle within myself to see what are my true intentions because as a Muslim, spiritually, I should be effectively doing everything for the sake of God.

“I have to manage my own inauthenticity just like I think everyone else does. Maybe the unconscious mind and the ego and the super ego are battling each other. But you know, I can't say much about that, perhaps you're right.”