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Vir Das, who is currently in the US, on Monday uploaded a video on YouTube, titled "I come from two Indias", that was part of his recent performance at the John F Kennedy Centre in Washington DC. In the six-minute video, Vir talks about the duality of the country and mentions some of the most topical issues India is facing, from its battle against COVID-19, incidents of rapes, crackdown against comedians to the farmers' protests.
The video has not gone down well with BJP leader Aditya Jha. Aditya, a spokesperson of the BJP in Delhi, has filed a complaint with the Delhi Police accusing Vir Das of belittling the country on foreign soil. Aditya tweeted a video saying he "will not tolerate anyone insulting our nation in another country" and will fight for the arrest of Vir Das. "I will take this fight to a decisive end. I want Vir Das to be arrested so that no one can malign the nation like this," said Aditya.
Last evening, Vir put out a clarification that he never intended to insult the nation, that his piece was a satire. "The video is a satire about the duality of two very separate Indias that do different things. Like any nation has light and dark, good and evil within it. None of this is a secret. The video appeals for us to never forget that we are great. To never stop focusing on what makes us great. It ends in a gigantic patriotic round of applause for a country we all love, believe in, and are proud of. That there is more to our country than the headlines, a deep beauty. That's the point of the video and the reason for the applause," Vir said in his statement.
— Vir Das (@thevirdas) November 16, 2021
He urged people to "cheer for the country with hope, not hate" and asked his followers to not be misled by edited clips. "Please do not be fooled by edited snippets. People cheer for India with hope, not hate. People clap for India with respect, not malice. I take pride in my country, and I carry that pride across the world," he said.
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