Kunal Kamra on joining Bharat Jodo: ‘Standing up against power also democratic’

Stand-up comic Kunal Kamra on Wednesday shared a post on his participation in the Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra as he also took a swipe at those “trying to be neutral”.

The 34-year-old stand-up comic – who has been at the centre of many controversies in the past and has had his shows cancelled – joins the list of non-political personalities taking part in the grand old party’s Kanyakumari to Kashmir foot march, which began in September.

“After spending a week with the Bharat Jodo Yatra I think people shying away from walking the yatra & trying to be neutral,” Kunal Kamra wrote on Twitter along with his picture with Rahul Gandhi. “It’s not neutrality that’s keeping you on the fence; it’s fear. Standing up against power is also democratic, like it use to be before 2014,” he further added in an apparent jibe at the BJP, which came to power in 2014.

As expected, Kamra’s presence in the footmarch – which is currently in Rajasthan – prompted comments from the rival side. “Kanhaiya Kumar, Swara Bhaskar, Kunal Kamra.

This trimurti and hosts of other communists are Rahul Gandhi’s core team member (sic),” tweeted Shashi Kumar, social media co-convenor of the Uttar Pradesh unit of the BJP. All three of them have been known to be critical of the ruling party at the Centre.

On Wednesday, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan was also seen marching with Rahul Gandhi in the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which is currently in Rajasthan. In a conversation with the Congress leader, Rajan also said that the national economy is likely to be faced with challenges in 2023 and the country would be “lucky” to see a five per cent growth.

Talking about the challenges in the recent times, he further said: “Rich had no problem, the lower class got ration and other things but the lower middle class had a big damage. There were no jobs, unemployment increased.”

Apart from Kamra and Rajan, actors Pooja Bhatt and Riya Sen have been among others who have joined Gandhi during the foot march, which was launched with an aim to rekindle the Congress connect with the masses ahead of the next national elections due in 2024.