Comedian Kunal Kamra has hit out at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in an irreverent letter, days after his show was cancelled in Gurgaon under pressure from the Sangh parivar.
The open letter responds to the group’s September 9 memorandum to the district administration that claimed Kamra had mocked Hindu deities.
“You threatened the club owner and got my show in Gurgaon cancelled. How can I blame the poor man? He has to run a business, how will he deal with goons? Neither will he go to the police. Even if he goes to the police, the police will come to you to make a request. The whole system is yours,” the letter says.
“But when have I disrespected Hindu culture, that you have accused me of? If there is any clip or show, please show it to me as well. I only do satire on the government. If you are the government’s pet, you can be offended. How did Hindu come into this?”
The letter adds: “I don’t think it necessary to give a test about my relationship with god. But I will still give a test and test you as well. I say Jai Sita Ram and Jai Radha Krishna loudly and with pride. If you are truly the children of India, write (Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram) Godse murdabad. Otherwise, I will think you are anti-Hindu and pro-terrorism. You don’t consider Godse to be god, do you?”
A bar in Gurgaon had cancelled his event, scheduled for September 17, after members of the Bajrang Dal — an arm of the VHP — met the management on Friday. The bar management did not complain to the police and a manager told reporters that the establishment “did not want any risk”.
Last month, Delhi police had withdrawn permission for a comedy show by Munawar Faruqui after complaints from the VHP. Faruqui was arrested last year in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, after a BJP member complained that he might malign Hindu deities in a comedy show he was to perform at.
Last year, Kamra faced a contempt case for tweeting about the Supreme Court granting bail to a TV anchor. He responded with an affidavit, saying: “I believe there need be no defence for jokes…. Most people do not react to jokes that don’t make them laugh; ignore them like our political leaders ignore critics. That is where the life of a joke must end.”
