Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed the Kunal Kamra row, stating that some people believe “it’s their birthright” to act in a certain way. In an interview, he shared his views on the controversy while also discussing his bold and authoritative style of governance. Adityanath emphasized the importance of law and order in the state. His remarks have sparked discussions on governance and freedom of expression.
Prayagraj: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated that freedom of expression should not be used for personal attacks, in reference to comedian Kunal Kamra’s joke about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
In an exclusive interview with news agency, set to air Wednesday morning, he remarked,
“Unfortunately, some people believe it is their birthright to use this freedom to tear the country apart and deepen divisions.”
The controversy arose after Kamra, who told Mumbai Police on Monday that he does not regret his joke and would only apologize if required by the courts, reported receiving 500 threatening calls since making the remarks.
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During a performance at the Habitat Comedy Club (now demolished by the Mumbai civic authorities due to alleged building violations) in Khar, Mumbai, Kamra presented a satirical rendition of the popular Bollywood song “Bholi Si Surat” from the 1997 hit film Dil To Pagal Hai.
The satire in question involved the term “gaddar,” or “traitor,” which was interpreted as a reference to Mr. Shinde’s 2022 split from the Shiv Sena and his alliance with the BJP. This political makeover ultimately resulted in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government losing power in Maharashtra.
In addition, Yogi Adityanath launched several attacks on the Congress party, accusing it of using “billionaire George Soros’ money” to influence the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He described the Congress-led Karnataka government’s four percent Muslim quota bill as an “insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution.”
Referring to reports about the business mogul’s ambitions, he stated,
“They (the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc) spread propaganda… not only did they spread it, but foreign money was also involved. Soros announced long ago his intention to bring down Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government,”
He declared,
“I assert that foreign money played a role in the Lok Sabha elections across the country, with the Congress and other parties in the INDIA bloc either directly or indirectly involved… through this, they attempted to influence the elections. This amounts to treason,”
Organizations associated with or funded by George Soros have often been accused by the BJP of acting against India’s interests. The Congress party, in turn, has faced accusations of endorsing reports from these organizations, including the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
These allegations intensified in December when BJP and Congress leaders, JP Nadda and Mallikarjun Kharge, clashed in Parliament regarding supposed connections between the Soros-funded Forum of the Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific Foundation and Sonia Gandhi, one of the forum’s co-chairs. The BJP labeled Rahul Gandhi a “traitor” and claimed that Mr. Soros, along with certain American agencies (which also fund the OCCRP), was attempting to destabilize India.
The Congress party firmly denied these claims, rejecting any links between its leaders, including Mrs. Gandhi and Mr. Gandhi, and an “anti-India” narrative.
Recently, the Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at the India office of the Open Society Foundations and NGOs linked to it over alleged foreign exchange violations.
In addition, Adityanath criticized the Congress regarding the controversy over a four percent minority quota in Karnataka. The state had enacted a bill reserving four percent of public contracts for Muslims.
The BJP opposed this, arguing that religion-based reservations contradict the Constitution. The Congress defended the measure, asserting that it is part of a broader quota for minority communities, which sparked further debate, especially following remarks from Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
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