Comedian Kamra stirs fresh row with T-shirt photo targeting RSS; BJP fumes, warns of action
Mumbai (PTI): Comedian Kunal Kamra kicked up a fresh controversy after he shared a photo on social media wearing a T-shirt that allegedly mocked the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), inviting strong reaction from the BJP which on Tuesday warned of police action.
Maharashtra minister and senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule cautioned that police would take action against those posting "objectionable" content online.
"The police would take action against anyone who puts out such objectionable posts," Bawankule said, reacting to Kamra's social media post on Monday that featured a T-shirt with a dog image alongside a reference to the RSS, the BJP's ideological mentor.
Shiv Sena cabinet minister Sanjay Shirsat, whose party is a BJP ally, insisted the national saffron outfit must respond strongly to the comedian's controversial post, pointing out Kamra in the past made vitriolic remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde.
"Earlier, he targeted Prime Minister Modi and Eknath Shinde, and now he has dared to directly attack the RSS. The BJP needs to respond to this," Shirsat opined.
"We (Shiv Sena) responded to it (to Kamra's critical comments on Shinde earlier this year). Now, he has mustered the courage to make an objectionable post against the RSS," said the minister.
In March, Kamra courted controversy when he made critical comments against Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena. The 36-year-old comedian had then taken a jibe at Shinde’s political career in his show by modifying the lyrics of a popular Hindi movie song.
Angry over the remarks, Shiv Sena members later damaged the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai's Khar as well as a hotel in whose premises the club is located as Kamra’s show took place there.
After the latest controversy, a defiant Kamra posted on social media that the photograph carrying the RSS reference was not "clicked at a comedy club".
BJP leaders have taken strong exception to the post, calling it insulting and provocative.
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Congress committed to social justice, says Karnataka CM; hits out at JD(S), BJP
BJP Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday asserted that the Congress remains firmly committed to social justice, both in principle and practice.
"The Congress is a party committed to social justice. This ideological commitment has been demonstrated not merely through words but through action," the CM said in a statement, underlining that the party has consistently translated its philosophy into governance.
He said his recent article marking Social Justice Day has sparked debate.
Defending the piece, he said: "An article I wrote for a newspaper as part of Social Justice Day celebrations has sparked multifaceted debate in the state’s political circles. If water remains stagnant, it turns into slush; if it flows, it becomes clearer."
"The social system is similar—if it does not remain rigid and instead becomes dynamic, it transforms in a people-centric manner. From this perspective, I welcome the discussion surrounding my article," he added.
Stating that his commitment to social justice is longstanding, the CM said, "Whether in power or out of it, my stand in favour of social justice has remained unwavering. I have greater clarity about the caste system among us than the politicians criticising me."
"I am prepared for a public debate on this issue," Siddaramaiah added.
Responding to criticism from Union Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumaraswamy, he said, "I have taken his allegation—that I have ‘dragged caste into the picture for the sake of a chair’—lightly."
Launching a sharp attack on JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his family, Siddaramaiah added, "Kumaraswamy and his revered father Deve Gowda are certainly not casteists; they are against their own caste. More importantly, they are family-centric. For them, caste is merely a vote bank."
He alleged that past, present, and future top JD(S) leaders would always be members of the Gowda family, questioning how many Vokkaliga leaders the party had nurtured during Deve Gowda’s long political career.
The CM maintained that it was the Congress that had identified and politically groomed Vokkaliga leaders.
"From Kengal Hanumanthaiah to S M Krishna, hundreds of Vokkaliga leaders have been nurtured. If Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Kadidal Manjappa, and S M Krishna became chief ministers, it was because of the Congress," he said, adding that several prominent Vokkaliga leaders are currently in the party.
"If one day anyone other than a member of Deve Gowda’s family becomes chief minister, it will be through the Congress," he noted.
Highlighting inclusivity, Siddaramaiah said the Congress has enabled leaders from Vokkaliga, Lingayat, and backward communities to become chief ministers in Karnataka, and expressed gratitude to party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for giving him a second term.
He added that leaders from the Dalit community who rise to the CM's post do so on merit, not merely caste. "I can confidently say that if someone from the Dalit community becomes chief minister in the future, it will be possible only through the Congress,” he reiterated.
He questioned whether the JD(S) or the BJP in the state is capable of fostering such aspirations. "This is the difference between the Congress, the BJP and JD(S). Therefore, I urge those accusing me of practising caste politics to introspect," the CM said.
