The latest video of American comedian of Indian origin, Hasan Minhaj, on the Indian elections has sparked a fresh row, prompting the supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch #BoycottNetflix campaign on Twitter. This was after Hasan in his latest video, ‘Indian Elections | Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj,’ called Times Now’s Navika Kumar India’s own Nancy Grace and slammed Modi in his own inimitable style for a host of malaise in the society ever since he became the prime minister.
Hasan said at one point, “In less than a month, India will be holding general elections. Everyone is talking about whether the current prime minister Narendra Modi will be able to stay in power. But this election is about more than that. Since Modi came to power, India has grown more hostile to minority groups. Among the local minorities, there has been a resurgence of religious nationalism, specifically Hindu nationalism.”
Hasan also took a potshot at Times Now’s debate show by singling out its anchor Navika Kumar when he compared her to US TV show host Nancy Grace. Ridiculing the TV channel’s noisy programme, Hasan pointed towards Kumar’s photo on the TV screen and said, “This (Times Now debate show) right here is every Desi living room talking about politics.” Zooming into BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia’s photo, Hasan said that he was the Indian Andy Garcia.
For Navika Kumar, he said, “While Indian Nancy Grace moderates the debate”
Hasan also mocked Modi for his embarrassing hugs with different heads of the state while poking fun at the Indian government’s claims of killing 300 terrorists in Balakot by expressing his sympathy for the trees targeted by the Indian Air Force in Pakistan. “India was like ‘we would have something if our maps weren’t so blurry.’ Just so you know those trees are terrorists.”
Even though, Hasan also attacked the Congress for a series of corruption related scandals during its regime until 2014, his hard-hitting comedy targeting Modi and his supporters in media did not go down well on Twitter. Supporters of Modi launched a hashtag campaign, calling for a boycott of Netflix, where Hasan’s video series is being streamed.
#BoycottNetflix #HasanMinhaj tried his best to present the one sided and distorted facts to insult the Indian Government and also propagating the Pakistan sides of the story regarding recent Surgical strikes by Indian army on Balakot terrorist camp in Pakistan.
— Chowkidar Tenzin Norbu (@Tenzinnorbuu) March 19, 2019
#BoycottNetflix as it's spring #HasanMinhaj who is trying to put his biased views on indian polity
If at all he is so humourous why not make some observations on other side— Chowkidar Ashu Tomar (@ashutomarbhan) March 19, 2019
Now the @NetflixIndia @netflix will feel the heat. Mass of people will unsubscribe and rate negative. Good Luck. #BoycottNetflix
— Surya त्रिपाठी (@tsuryaa) March 19, 2019
Taking a postshot at the bizarre #BoyCottNetflix campaign, one user wrote:
If anyone is going to #BoycottNetflix over #indianelection2019 Can i have your Login ID?
— Amir Hussain (@Amirs_Apple) March 19, 2019
The backlash over his video wouldn’t have surprised Hasan as his family members had ‘warned’ him of dire consequences if he chose to make comedy on Modi and India.
I didn’t listen. #NowStreaming pic.twitter.com/7fnuDuaImW
— Hasan Minhaj (@hasanminhaj) March 17, 2019