Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra on Friday, defended his alleged scandalous tweets against the judiciary in the Supreme Court, saying that if the court believes he has crossed the line and wants to shut down his internet indefinitely, then he too “will write Happy Independence Day post cards every 15th August, just like my Kashmiri friends.”
According to Kamra, “irreverence and hyperbole” are essential tools for the comedic enterprise and a comic raises questions on issues of public interest in his own unique way.
He said, “We would be reduced to a country of incarcerated artists and flourishing lapdogs” if powerful people and institutions continue to show an inability to tolerate rebuke or criticism.
Kamra had filed his reply affidavit in a plea seeking contempt action against him for the alleged scandalous tweets. He said, “I may disagree with many decisions by many courts in many matters, but I promise this bench that I will respect any decision that comes my way with a broad smile. I will not vilify this bench or the Supreme Court in this matter specifically because that would actually be contempt of court.”
Kamra added, “Should powerful people and institutions continue to show an inability to tolerate rebuke or criticism, we would be reduced to a country of incarcerated artists and flourishing lapdogs. If this court believes I have crossed a line and wants to shut down my internet indefinitely, then I too will write Happy Independence Day post cards every 15th August, just like my Kashmiri friends’.”
The stand-up comedian said that there is growing culture of intolerance in this country, where taking offence is seen as a fundamental right and has been elevated to the status of a much loved national indoor sport.