Kunal Kamra, a stand-up comedian, has refused to apologise for his tweet, in which he took a dig at the apex court of the country. A contempt notice was issued to him for his tweet. In his affidavit submitted in the court on Friday, he said that if he has crossed the line and the court wants to shut down his internet, “then I will write Happy Independence Day post cards every August 15 just like my Kashmiri friends.”
Kamra was indirectly referring to the communication blackout imposed in Kashmir in August 2019 in his affidavit. In his affidavit, Kamra said that “public’s faith in judiciary is founded on its own actions, not on criticism about it.” The comic told the Supreme Court that suggesting that his tweets/jokes criticising the Supreme Court could shake the foundations of the most powerful court in the world is an over-estimation of his abilities.
“To believe any institution of power in a democracy is beyond criticism is like saying migrants need to find their way back home during an ill planned nationwide lockdown; it is irrational and undemocratic,” he added. “Humor attempts to blunt the grimes of the situation and offers a measure of comfort to the afflicted.”
Kamra further stated that he believes judges cannot find themselves unable to discharge their duties “only on account of being subject to satire or comedy.”
Bar and Bench listed the following four tweets for which he was issued a contempt notice:
- The Supreme Court of this country is the most Supreme joke of this country…
2 .The pace at which the Supreme Court operates in matters of “National Interests” it’s time we replace Mahatma Gandhi’s photo with Harish Salve’s photo…
- DY Chandrachud is a flight attendant serving champagne to first class passengers after they’re fast tracked through, while commoners don’t know if they’ll ever be boarded or seated, let alone served.
- All lawyers with a spine must stop the use of the prefix “Hon’ble” while referring to the Supreme Court or its judges. Honour has left the building long back…
Kamra also posted a morphed image of the Supreme Court building with an orange shade and depicting a BJP flag hoisted in the foyer of the Supreme Court.
