Indian comedian Kunar Kamra on Monday night refused to apologise for his actions in criticizing politicians who allied with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after opening an investigation that accused him of being a honour-defeat.
“I will not be afraid of this mob, I will not be hiding under my bed, waiting for this to die,” Kamla said among the leading Indian comedians.
Why is Kamura being investigated?
Kamra has stirred up controversy since he made a skit calling Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde a “traitor.”
Supporters of the Shiv Sena Party of Sinde immediately attacked the venue where Kamra performed, but were not present when they arrived.
Sinde is part of the Shiv Sena Party faction, which is allied with Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The parties are in the Union that controls Maharashtra.
The “traitor” remark was a reference to Sinde, who switched political loyalty in 2022, which put India’s richest state into a political crisis, with then Prime Minister Uddav Thackeray and Sinde resigning from taking over the seats.
Shinde has not commented on the incident yet. Meanwhile, the state chief minister and Cinde’s boss Devendra Fadnavis told reporters: “We respect freedom of expression, but recklessness is not tolerated.”
Mumbai police were among other charges after the party filed a complaint against him about honour and losses after they began an investigation into the comedian on Monday.
Habitat, the famous Mumbai performance venue where the show was held, announced it would be closing after the incident. City civic authorities later destroyed the venue and said they had no necessary permissions.
How are comedians treated in India?
In his statement that he refused to apologise, Kamra emphasized his right to freedom of speech and expression.
“The inability to joking at the expense of powerful public figures will not change my right nature,” he said.
On Monday night, Kamra posted a photo of herself maintaining the Indian constitution.
This is not the first time a comedian has gained at an intersection to tease politicians. Kamura himself has been widely attacked in the past with satire targeting Modi and other senior politicians.
Several other comedians have also been arrested or cancelled due to politicians and references to Hindu religions.
In 2021, Muslim comedian Munawar Falki was arrested and imprisoned for over a month for allegedly mocking Hindu gods and goddesses.
Editor: Rana Taha
