Days after the event in Gurugram was canceled following threats from right-wing outfits, ‘stand-up comedian’ Kunal Kamra on Sunday wrote an open letter to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) challenging them to condemn Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse.
Comedian Kunal Kamra, who has in the past criticized the BJP-led central government on several issues, has declared himself a “bigger Hindu” from the VHP, saying he does not earn his livelihood by intimidation.
Kamra wrote in a tagged letter on VHP’s official Twitter handle, “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.”
He wrote in the letter, “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.”
In his letter, Kamra also sought evidence from right-wing organizations that he makes fun of Hindu deities in his programmes. “If there is any such clip, show it to me too. I only mock the government. If you are a government lackey, then your feelings getting hurt makes sense. How does the Hindu religion figure here?” Kamra added.
Kamra was to perform on September 17 and 18 at Studio XO Bar, Sector-29, Gurugram. VHP and Bajrang Dal submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav through Tehsildar on Friday, demanding cancellation of the show. Members of Hindu right-wing organizations said that if the show was not cancelled, they would protest against it.