Comedian Kunal Kamra's RSS t-shirt triggers row, BJP leaders warn of police action

Comedian Kunal Kamra faced criticism from political leaders once again after sharing a photograph of himself wearing a T-shirt that appeared to refer to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The image circulated widely on Monday and drew objections from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) representatives on Tuesday, who stated that the post could prompt police action. Kamra later clarified that the picture “was not clicked at a comedy club.” The visible portion of the T-shirt did not show the entire first letter, creating uncertainty about what the printed text fully stated.

The photograph prompted an immediate reaction within the BJP. Maharashtra minister and senior party figure Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that anyone responsible for posting material deemed unacceptable online would face consequences. Commenting on Kamra’s upload, he said, “The police would take action against anyone who puts out such objectionable posts.” The image showed a dog illustration accompanied by text referring to the RSS, which is regarded as the ideological organisation linked to the BJP.

Sanjay Shirsat, a cabinet minister from the Shiv Sena—a party aligned with the BJP in Maharashtra—said the RSS should answer the post firmly. He argued that Kamra had previously targeted senior political leaders. “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,” he said.

Referring to earlier reactions from his own party, he continued, “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.”

Shirsat also recalled an incident earlier in the year when Kamra modified lyrics of a well-known Hindi film song during a live performance to make remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s political journey. That episode led to Shiv Sena members damaging the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai’s Khar area, along with the hotel where the venue is located, as the show had taken place on the premises.