In a bizarre replay of life imitating art, in this case a comedy show, standup comedian Kunal Kamra was viciously targeted by workers of the ruling Shiv Sena (SS)-Shinde faction in Mumbai for cracking a joke about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Without naming Shinde, Kamra had alluded to him in a show as a “traitor.” Shinde was instrumental in splitting the erstwhile Shiv Sena party in 2022, toppling the Uddhav Thackeray-led government and joining hands with the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form the government in Maharashtra. Following state assembly elections in November 2024, a coalition government with the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister and Shinde as his deputy has taken charge.
Kamra had performed at The Habitat comedy club in Mumbai — the show was titled “Naya Bharat” (New India) — on February 2 and uploaded its video online on March 23. It went viral, and sparked outrage among rightwing activists. Three criminal cases were filed against him for defamation and public mischief. SS-Shinde faction workers went on a rampage, vandalized the comedy club where Kamra had performed, after which the owners had little option but to shut it down. The police were silent spectators to the vandalism — not surprising, since the actions of the goons had the support of the chief minister.
“Insulting leaders will not be tolerated,” Fadnavis said, demanding an apology from Kamra. Mumbai’s municipal corporation started demolishing portions of the club, claiming that its construction was unauthorized. The retaliatory action by the authorities was unprecedented in scale.
Kamra has received several death threats in the weeks since. He has categorically stated that he will not apologize.
Responding to the political leaders threatening him, he stated on X, “Our right to freedom of speech and expression is not only to be used to fawn over the powerful and rich …. Your inability to take a joke at the expense of a powerful public figure does not change the nature of my right. As far as I know, it is not against the law to poke fun at our leaders and the circus that is our political system.”
The Mumbai police have gone on an intimidation overdrive. Not just Kamra, but members of the audience have been issued notices and summoned by the police.
It is evident that the right-wing establishment intends to set a chilling precedent by harassing Kamra.
But Kamra refuses to be cowed. In his characteristic style, he shot back with a post on X detailing a “step by step guide” on “How to Kill an Artist.” He referred to the orchestrated outrage as a means to throttle his means of livelihood by closing all access for a performer like him to venues and audiences. He described it as a “political weapon. A silencing machine.”
The backlash against Kamra must be seen in the context of what he stands for: a vociferous champion of free speech, He has spoken up against the authoritarian tactics of the ruling BJP under Narendra Modi. Kamra was among the first to legally challenge the Modi government’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) rules, 2023, which empowered the government to have a fact-check unit identify any content as “fake or misleading.” Kamra alleged that it amounted to violation of a citizen’s fundamental right to free speech. His stance was vindicated as the court struck down the proposed amendments as unconstitutional.
In a political and social environment that has increasingly become authoritarian, Kamra’s frank and fearless political satire, holding truth to power, has landed him in trouble on several occasions.
One of these was on a flight, when he confronted television news anchor Arnab Goswami for his journalism. Goswami is part of what critics call the “godi media” or lapdog media, which has doubled up as a government mouthpiece. Thereafter, Kamra was temporarily banned from boarding flights.
In his comedy shows, Kamra has never shied away from “punching up” i.e., targeting those in power, even naming Modi and his close confidant, Home Minister Amit Shah, in his comic pieces.
Kamra has been a major irritant for the BJP, which could explain the disproportionate reaction of the Maharashtra government. Moreover, the “traitor” jibe had been dogging Shinde ever since he joined hands with the BJP to form a government. The doubling down on Kamra was, therefore, meant to be a lesson to others, including comedians, that criticizing or even making jokes about politicians of the BJP and its allies carries a heavy cost. They can expect to face violence, death threats, and even court cases.
Kamra is not alone. Dozens of comedians and critics have been punished by BJP governments. Comedian Munawar Faruqui found himself in the crosshairs of the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh in 2021 for allegedly making objectionable remarks about Hindu deities. Faruqui was arrested based on the complaint by a BJP legislator’s son and spent over a month in jail.
Comedian Vir Das was lauded for his performance titled “Two Indias” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in 2021. But on his return to India, Das faced several police complaints and was booked on a complaint by a BJP spokesperson for allegedly defaming and insulting the country.
Historically, ridiculing those who wield power and making a mockery of authority has been perceived as a sign of rebellion. In Shakespeare’s plays, the character of the fool held up a mirror to the king and his excesses, even at the risk of punishment. Liberal rulers and regimes have viewed the political satirist, the comic, and the political cartoonist as a much-needed reality check that compels them to be accountable.
In contrast, authoritarian regimes take umbrage at the slightest pretext. This is the case in India under Modi, which is clamping down on political satire as anti-national or for hurting religious sentiments or defaming their leaders.
Responding to the harassment unleashed on him by the state machinery, Kamra reminded India’s largely pliant news media that India ranks 159th of 180 countries for press freedom.
Ironically, in a recent podcast, Modi said that “criticism is the soul of democracy.” But the targeting of Kamra by Modi’s BJP proves that what he said was mere hyperbole.