CNN presenter Reza Aslan criticised for eating human brain on live camera

Scholar and CNN presenter Reza Aslan is in hot waters for eating a human brain and drinking alcohol from a skull while filming a documentary on a lesser known Hindu sect.

The documentary was based on the Aghori sect which reside outside the city of Varanasi and practice cannibalism, for Aslan’s series Believer.

Aslan could be seen his face being smeared in cremated human ashes and being asked to drink alcohol from a skull.

After the shoot, he posted on Facebook: "Want to know what a dead guy's brain tastes like? Charcoal. It was burnt to a crisp!"

The episode was met with criticism from Hindu-Americans and Indian-Americans, who blamed CNN for creating misunderstandings about Hinduism, especially after recent killings of Indians in hate crimes.

"I am very disturbed that CNN is using its power and influence to increase people’s misunderstanding and fear of Hinduism," tweeted Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu elected to the US congress.