After Gurugram shows cancelled, Kunal Kamra dares VHP to denounce Godse
The Hindu
“I chant ‘Jai Shri Sita-Ram’ and ‘Jai Radha Krishna’ loudly and with pride. If you really are the children of India, write and send (messages of) ‘Godse Murdabad’. If you don’t, you will be perceived as anti-Hindu and supporters of terrorism”
Days after his shows at a Gurugram bar were called off following threats by right-wing organisations, stand-up comic Kunal Kamra on Sunday wrote an open letter to the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), challenging it to condemn Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse.
The comedian, who has criticised the BJP-led NDA government over a number of issues in the past, proclaimed himself as "a bigger Hindu" than the VHP as he doesn't earn his living by fear mongering and issuing threats.
Also read | ‘Self-censorship’ setting in, say comics
"I chant ' Jai Shri Sita-Ram' and ' Jai Radha Krishna' loudly and with pride. If you really are the children of India, write and send (messages of) 'Godse Murdabad'. If you don't, you will be perceived as anti-Hindu and supporters of terrorism.
"Don't tell me you consider Godse as God? If that is true, keep getting my shows cancelled in the future too. I'll just be happy to have emerged a bigger Hindu than you in this test. Whatever I'll do, I'll eat my hard-earned bread as I'm a bigger Hindu than you. I feel it is a sin to live on scraps by threatening someone and spreading fear," Mr. Kamra wrote in Hindi, tagging the official Twitter handle of the VHP.
He was scheduled to perform on September 17 and 18 at Studio Xo Bar in Sector 29 of Gurugram, Haryana.
The VHP and Bajrang Dal on Friday had submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav through Tehsildar demanding cancellation of the show, saying Mr. Kamra "makes fun of Hindu gods and goddesses in his show, which is quite wrong".