Comedian makes a joke about politicians - now police investigation

Comedian makes a joke about politicians - now police investigation

A well-known Indian comedian is the right to make jokes after an angry mob attacked a comedy club in which he had done a swipe on a right politician on stage.

Kunal Kamra and the controversy around his jokes

Kunal Kamra, known for his sharp comments on pop culture and politics, is in the West Indian state of Maharashtra for alleged defamation under police investigation. The reason for the investigation is his jokes about the deputy prime minister Eknath Shinde. This incident is the latest example of the decreasing freedom of expression in India and the sensitivities among the right politicians in the country, which in some cases have already called up to arrest the artist.

The incident in the comedy club

a Video from the appearance, which was published on Kamaras YouTube channel on Sunday, shows the comedian who seems to be mocked. In the video, Kamra does not explicitly mentioned the politician, but in one song references a "gaddar" or "traitor" - this is generally understood as a reference to Shind's leadership of an uprising in 2022, which led to the fall of the state's prior government.

anger and violence

The joke immediately received angry reactions from the Hindu-Supremacist Shiv Sena Party, which belongs to Shinde. An upgrade mob later appeared in The Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai, in which Kamra appeared. A Video - some with scarves on which the logo of the Shiv Sena can be seen - smash the chairs and devastate the interior of the club.

political reactions and support

The police also investigate because of the alleged vandalism. CNN has turned to Shinde to get a statement. Krishna Hegde, a spokesman for the Shiv Sena, said Kamara's statements had "insulted" the people in Maharashtra. He demanded: "The Mumbai police were supposed to take Kunal Kamra in custody, arrest him and bring him behind grids."

Another member of the party, Naresh Mhaske, warned that Kamra could no longer be safe on the street. "You won't be able to walk around all over India anymore," he said in a video message. Kamra, on the other hand, asserts that he will not apologize for his comments and criticized the "inability to laugh about a powerful public figure".

the defense of the comedian

Some opposition politicians in Maharashtra have demonstratively stood behind Kamra in the face of the political storm. Aditya Thackeray, Shinde's former political ally, said: "Only an unsafe coward would react to a song of a person like this."

The Habitat was shocked by vandalism and announced the temporary closure of the club. "We have never intervened in the content that is listed by artists, but the latest events let us think about how we will aim."

growing intolerance in India

This is not Kamara's first conflict with the law. In December 2020, he was held responsible for alleged disparage of the judiciary and judge in his social media contributions by the Supreme Court of the Head of the Court. Two years ago, Kamra described India as a "humorless society" and stated that they have canceled about 100 appearances due to threats by right -wing groups.

The protection of freedom of expression

Freedom of expression is anchored in the democratic constitution, but comedians in the world's greatest democracy have already felt the anger of attacked politicians due to their jokes. In November 2021, right -wing politicians called for the arrest of the comedian Vir that after he was an urgent monologue on the rape problem of the country and the long protests of the farmers.

Although the previous fate of many comedians shows that they should not be punished for their words and jokes, they often experience that their careers are seriously endangered under such circumstances. However, Kamra remains determined to defend his right to satire and humor towards those who are bothered by power.