Image Courtesy:dnaindia.com
Attorney General, KK Venugopal gave his nod for proceeding against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra on charges of contempt for posting comments against the Supreme Court and its judges on Twitter. Kamra has been known to speak up against the socio-political scene through his social media handles and this time he has been found in trouble for it. Undeterred, Kamra, as if he expected such action, kept posting tweets from his Twitter handle about the contempt action against him.
Who am I to scandalise the already compromised ??? https://t.co/MQ49JjKXTv
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) November 11, 2020
Don’t even call it contempt of court call it contempt of future Rajya Sabha Seat ???
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) November 12, 2020
The tweets that landed Kamra in trouble are still on Twitter.
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.
*Justice*— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) November 11, 2020
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…
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) November 11, 2020
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…
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) November 11, 2020
In one of his tweets, he posted a picture of the Supreme Court in the foreground and replaced the tricolour flag of India with the flag of the ruling BJP
Contempt of court it seems ??? pic.twitter.com/QOJ7fE11Fy
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) November 11, 2020
Indian Express reported that those who wrote to the AG included Shrirang Katneshwarkar, a law student from Aurangabad; Rizwan Siddiquee, an advocate; and two Pune-based lawyers, Amey Abhay Sirsikar and Abhishek Sharad Raskar.
The AG, in his reply to the letters seeking consent for initiating contempt against Kamra, stated, “I find that today people believe that they can boldly and brazenly condemn the Supreme Court of India and its judges by exercising what they believe is their freedom of speech. But under the Constitution, the freedom of speech is subject to the law of contempt and I believe that it is time that people understand that attacking the Supreme Court of India unjustifiedly and brazenly will attract punishment under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1972”.
Kamra tweets were a comment on the Supreme Court’s observations made in the order granting interim bail to Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami.
Related:
Arnab’s plea listed urgently in SC, Dushyant Dave alleges preferential treatment
Samyabrata defends husband Arnab, takes on Dushyant Dave’s letter to SC