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Days after his show was cancelled in Gurgaon after members of the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) threatened to protest and disrupt the event, stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has written a letter to the VHP asking it to denounce Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse to prove that the outfit is pro-Hindu and anti-terrorism. He also asked them to show proof that he had disrespected the Hindu religion.
Kamra was scheduled to perform at Studio Xo Bar in Sector 29 on September 17 and 18. In an Instagram post on August 29, the bar released a poster titled ‘Kunal Kamra Live’ with the show timings and ticket details. After the Bajrang Dal and Sena intervened, the club manager decided to cancel the show and did not file a complaint with the police.
In the letter, Kamra wrote, “Respected Hindu Parishad, I have not used the prefix Hindu with your name because I don’t think that the Hindus of the world have made you a representative of their faith. You threatened the club owner and got my show in Gurgaon cancelled. How can I blame him? 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 and place a request. The whole system is yours. But when have I disrespected Hindu culture, like you accuse me of doing?”
Asking the VHP to show proof that he had disrespected the religion, Kamra wrote, “If there is any clip or show, please show it to me as well. I only do satires on the government. If you are the government’s pet, you can be offended. How did Hindu come into this? I usually don’t think I need to give a test regarding 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 Godse murdabad. Otherwise I will think you are anti-Hindu and pro-terrorism. You don’t consider Godse to be God, do you?”
“If you do, keep getting my shows cancelled in future as well. I will be happy that I have won the test of being more Hindu than you. I will do anything, I will get fruits of my hard work because being a better Hindu than you I feel that getting scraps by threatening someone is a sin,” he added.
On Friday, Sahil Dawra, the clubs’ manager, told The Indian Express, “We have decided to cancel the show. I do not want any trouble… Two men from Bajrang Dal… had come and they threatened to disrupt the show. They objected to the show and said that they will not allow the show to happen. I spoke with the owners, police, and the comedian and I don’t want any risk to my company and organisation… so we have decided to cancel it. We have not lodged any complaint with the police. We have written to the ticketing company and initiated the process to cancel the show.”
Last month, a stand-up show by comedian Munawar Faruqui was cancelled in Bengaluru after a right-wing outfit petitioned the city police commissioner alleging that he had hurt Hindu sentiments in his shows by making insulting remarks about lord Ram and goddess Sita. It was the second time in less than a year that Faruqui’s show had been cancelled in the Karnataka capital.
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