NCPCR Summons Twitter India Exec for 'No Action' Against Comedian Kunal Kamra

Kamra had posted an altered video of a boy singing a patriotic song for PM Modi during his visit to Germany.

The NCPCR, on 5 May, sought action against Kamra for tweeting the video and wrote to Twitter for the immediate removal of the video from the social media platform. The comedian's post was later taken down.

(Photo Courtesy: YouTube Screengrab)

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) summoned Twitter India's communications director on Wednesday, 18 May, for not submitting an action taken report against comedian Kunal Kamra, who had reportedly posted an altered video of a boy singing a patriotic song for Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Germany earlier this month, PTI reported.

The NCPCR, on 5 May, sought action against Kamra for tweeting the video and wrote to Twitter for the immediate removal of the video from the social media platform. The comedian's post was later taken down.

The commission now wants the details of the action taken report from Twitter's communications director.

"A letter in this regard was sent to your good offices dated 05.05.2022 calling for an ATR (action taken report) in the instant complaint within seven days or receipt of the letter," the NCPCR said in a letter sent on Tuesday.

"However, no such ATR has yet been received by the Commission," it added.

Background

Kamra had shared the purported video of PM Modi's interaction with the young boy in Germany but replaced the song that he sang (Janmabhoomi Bharat) with Mehengayi Daayan, a song on inflation from the movie 'Peepli Live'.

Kamra had also had an argument with the father of the boy on Twitter, who asked him to keep his son out of "filthy politics."

"He is my 7-year-old son, who wanted to sing this song for his beloved Motherland. Though he is still very young but certainly he loves his country more than you, Mr Kamra or Kachra, whatever u are. Keep the poor boy out of your filthy politics & and try to work on your poor jokes [sic]," said Ganesh Pol, the child's father.

Responding to the father, Kamra, who has been embroiled in controversy on multiple occasions in the past for criticising the ruling dispensation, said that the joke was not on the boy.

"The video is in the public domain by a news organisation. The joke is not on your son, while you enjoy your son sing for his motherland to the most popular son, there are songs that he should listen to from people of his country also," Kamra wrote on Twitter.

Responding to the child rights body's action, Kamra tweeted, "The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights must act for on me for a MEME, that I said who did this for [sic]."

Meanwhile, some Twitterati called out Kamra for sharing the altered video and sought police action against him.

(With inputs from PTI.)