Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas is set to challenge Congress scion Rahul Gandhi in the latter's own backyard Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, in this year's general election.
During his party's successful campaign in the Delhi state election, Vishwas proved a strong orator, partly because of his experience hosting kavi sammelans (poets' gatherings). He is a popular poet, and Hindi professor.
But some things he said at those kavi sammelans long before he became involved in politics are now coming back to bite him, as both he and his party have to explain some of his more offensive jokes.
Here are three of his attempts at humour, all of which got applause from his audience, but infuriated the communities he targetted.
1) On Muharram
Views: 40,558
Soon after this clip gained traction in the first days of the new year, Muslim groups demanded an apology for the joke about Muharram, an important Muslim religious observance.
Janata Dal (United) MLA from Delhi, Shoaib Iqbal, who had initially supported AAP leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the confidence vote to form the Delhi state government, threatened to withdraw support if Vishwas did not apologise.
Vishwas did so, explaining that these remarks had been made during a kavi sammelan in 2004.
2) On 'dark' Keralite nurses
Views: 50,424
In this video, which Vishwas says is of a kavi sammelan held in 2008, he makes a joke about Keralite nurses. This immediately drew the ire of women's rights groups including the nurses of Kerala, who are known for their willingness to work in the toughest conditions.
Kerala Youth Congress members ransacked AAP's Kochi office on Monday. Kumar apologised on Wednesday, dismissing it in the same manner as his joke about Muharram.
3) On Hindu gods
Views: 5,053
This video does not have as many views as the first two, but has already drawn a sharp response. Earlier this week, the Lucknow police said that a case had been filed against Vishwas by RP Mishra, general secretary of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Sewa Samiti, for offending Hindu religious sentiments.
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During his party's successful campaign in the Delhi state election, Vishwas proved a strong orator, partly because of his experience hosting kavi sammelans (poets' gatherings). He is a popular poet, and Hindi professor.
But some things he said at those kavi sammelans long before he became involved in politics are now coming back to bite him, as both he and his party have to explain some of his more offensive jokes.
Here are three of his attempts at humour, all of which got applause from his audience, but infuriated the communities he targetted.
1) On Muharram
Views: 40,558
Soon after this clip gained traction in the first days of the new year, Muslim groups demanded an apology for the joke about Muharram, an important Muslim religious observance.
Janata Dal (United) MLA from Delhi, Shoaib Iqbal, who had initially supported AAP leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the confidence vote to form the Delhi state government, threatened to withdraw support if Vishwas did not apologise.
Vishwas did so, explaining that these remarks had been made during a kavi sammelan in 2004.
2) On 'dark' Keralite nurses
Views: 50,424
In this video, which Vishwas says is of a kavi sammelan held in 2008, he makes a joke about Keralite nurses. This immediately drew the ire of women's rights groups including the nurses of Kerala, who are known for their willingness to work in the toughest conditions.
Kerala Youth Congress members ransacked AAP's Kochi office on Monday. Kumar apologised on Wednesday, dismissing it in the same manner as his joke about Muharram.
3) On Hindu gods
Views: 5,053
This video does not have as many views as the first two, but has already drawn a sharp response. Earlier this week, the Lucknow police said that a case had been filed against Vishwas by RP Mishra, general secretary of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Sewa Samiti, for offending Hindu religious sentiments.
