If this court believes I have crossed a line and wants to shut down my internet indefinitely, then I too will write Happy Independence Day postcards every 15th August, just like my Kashmiri friends.

New Delhi: Comedian Kunal Kamra said in his affidavit that judges are the most powerful but do not enjoy any protection from jokes and that the public faith in the judiciary system is established on its own actions and not on critique or jokes.

In his reply affidavit, Kamra said if powerful people and institutions continue to show an inability to tolerate rebuke or criticism, “we would be reduced to a country of incarcerated artists and flourishing lapdogs.”

More Excerpt from Kunal karma statement…

• I do not believe that any high authority, including judges, would find themselves unable to discharge their duties only on account of being the subject of satire or joke.
• I believe there is a growing culture of intolerance in the country where taking offence is seen as a fundamental right and is elevated to the status of much loved national indoor sports.
• If this court believes I have crossed a line and wants to shut down my internet indefinitely, then I too will write Happy Independence Day postcards every 15th August, just like my Kashmiri friends.
• We are witnessing an assault on the freedom of speech and expression, with comedians like Munawar Farooqi being jailed for jokes that they have not been made, and school students being interrogated for sedition.
• At such a time, I hope that this court will demonstrate that the freedom of speech and expression is cardinal constitutional value and recognize that the possibility of being offended is a necessary incident to the exercise of this right.
• My tweets were not published with the intention to diminish the faith of the people in the highest court of our democracy.
• The public’s faith in the judiciary is founded on the institution’s own actions, and not on any criticism or commentary about it.
• Jokes are based on a comedian’s perception, which they use to make the audience that shares that perception laugh.
  
  Kunal Kamra, facing contempt for allegedly mocking the Supreme Court in an undignified and derogatory manner. The comedian said that his jokes do not come in the way of judges and their work.

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