“No Freedom Of Speech, Only Action”: Jaya Bachchan On Kunal Kamra Row
"Where is freedom of speech? Freedom of action only exists when there is a ruckus - beat up the opposition, rape women, kill them. What else?" Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan said
New Delhi
In the ongoing controversy surrounding stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra’s recent outbursts, some political leaders, such as Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan and Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs, have stood up to stand by Mr Kamra’s right to free speech and condem the actions of those who damaged the Mumbai venue where his performance was recorded.
Ms Bachchan questioned the boundaries placed on freedom of expression in the nation.
“If there is a ban on speaking, then what will happen to you? You are already in a sorry state. There are restrictions placed on you. You would be instructed to talk only on this and nothing else, that don’t interview Jaya Bachchan,” Ms Bachchan said in the presence of journalists outside parliament.
“Where is freedom of speech? Freedom of action exists only when there is a ruckus – beat up the opposition, rape women, kill them. What more? You [Eknath Shinde] deserted your true party and split to form a new party in pursuit of power. Isn’t that insulting Balasaheb?” the actor-politician said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant spoke up in support of Mr Kamra, stating that each and every word spoken by the comedian in his comedy special, Naya Bharat, was true.
“What Kunal Kamra did, I believe every word, every statement uttered by him is right. That is what Opposition everybody is charging against him. He made that statement in the form of a poem. If we declare there is democracy in this nation and we are believers in that, then we have to agree to all of this,” Mr Sawant said.
Mr Sawant made a comparison with the past, invoking Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s own background as a cartoonist, who used to make caricatures of the then-leading political leaders.
“Criticism is criticism. Sometimes someone does mimicry. Balasaheb Thackeray was a great cartoonist; he used to make caricatures of Sharad Pawar, Sonia Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, and Nehru. If it were the current time, they would have lodged cases against him daily,” Mr Sawant said.
He demanded action against those responsible for vandalising the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, Mumbai, where Mr Kamra’s show was shot. “FIR should be filed against those who vandalised. Can’t they tolerate criticism?”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed her outrage, terming the act of vandalism a reflection of increasing intolerance in the nation.
“They lit a fire like this in Nagpur. They are now doing the same in Mumbai. What is the kind of intolerance? If you don’t enjoy something, complain to the Police but if such a thing exists, I feel people of Mumbai are observing; Maharashtra is observing how law and order is being taken into control, and they have descended into hooliganism,” Ms Chaturvedi said to ANI.
She said the issue was over a joke that did not even directly refer to the Deputy Chief Minister’s name, but only gave a hint about it.
“They are threatening over a joke where Eknath Shinde’s name was not even mentioned; only the clever would have caught the hint,” she added.
Ms Chaturvedi said the reaction to Mr Kamra’s joke was only a manifestation of the real truth in his statements.
The incident at Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai turned violent when a group of Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) youth wing members stormed the club while another live performance was in progress, disrupted the show, and did extensive damage to the set.
An FIR has now been lodged against both Mr Kamra for his offensive statements and the Shiv Sena youth wing for the vandalism.
As per sub inspector Vijay of the Khar police station, the group attacked the venue following the release of Mr Kamra’s stand-up special Naya Bharat. Shiv Sena‘s youth wing has raised a big debate regarding the boundaries of protest and the right to free expression.
