Comedy club vandalised after Indian comedian makes joke about state leader
A comedian popular for his biting political humour is being investigated for possible defamation over jokes made about an Indian state leader who is an ally of prime minister Narendra Modi, in yet another case raising questions over freedom of speech in the country.
Police in the western city of Mumbai opened an investigation on Monday against Kunal Kamra over a comedy skit referring to Eknath Shinde, the second highest elected leader of Maharashtra state, following a complaint filed by a politician from Shinde's Shiv Sena party.
Kamra had made the remarks in a comedy skit, but it was unclear when the performance took place.
A video clip of the skit Kamra posted on his Instagram profile on Sunday showed him taunting Shinde in a parody song. Kamra's use of the term 'traitor' particularly trigged Shiv Sena party workers and on Sunday they ransacked the studio where he had performed the skit.
Police are also investigating the vandalism.
One lawmaker from the party threatened Kamra on Sunday, saying he would be chased by the party workers throughout the country.
'You will be forced to flee India,' lawmaker Naresh Mhaske warned Kamra said in a video message.
Shinde has not commented about the matter.
Kamra has made no comment on the investigation, but late on Sunday he shared on his Instagram a picture of himself holding the Indian Constitution with caption: 'The only way forward.'
The Habitat Comedy Club, where Kamra had performed, has now said it is shutting down following the vandalism.
'We are shocked, worried and extremely broken by the recent acts of vandalism targeting us,' it said in a statement on Monday, adding that the club will remain shut 'till we figure out the best way to provide a platform for free expression without putting ourselves and our property in jeopardy.'
Kamra has faced the ire of Hindu nationalist groups and political parties in the past, particularly for jokes about Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party politicians.
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Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
Why Nigel Farage's claim he'll re-open Port Talbot blast furnaces is virtually impossible to achieve
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Article continues below Indian steel giant Tata runs the plant and said it had closed the blast furnaces because they were at the end of their life, huge emitters of CO2, a greenhouse gas, and that it was unsustainable to keep up with financial losses of £1m a day. The company said the new electric arc furnace would reduce emissions and secure the future of any steelmaking at the Port Talbot site. The switch is being funded by £500m of UK Government money with the rest of the £1.25bn investment coming from Tata. Tata said it would produce a different type of steel, but that was something it has market demand for. However, looking at the blast furnace pledge specifically, once a blast furnace is turned off it is all but impossible to turn it back on. That's not only because at the centre of the existing blast furnaces is now a solid, 300 tonne slab of iron, but because the blast furnaces didn't operate in isolation. 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Mr Farage said: "Tata can say what they like, I doubt, in the status quo, that furnace will ever be switched on." As for evidence to back that up, he said: "To turn it on with our energy prices where it is, you'd be producing very, very expensive secondary steel. An EAF is not the real deal but it's better than nothing." During questions, he seemed to accept that it was not up to any government - whether devolved or central - to have any say on re-opening the blast furnaces and he accepted it would cost in the "low billions". "Re-opening a blast furnace is no easy thing, this one has closed, that's the tragedy," he said. "We're going to need cheaper energy, much cheaper local coal, and we're going to need private business partners prepared to come and do a joint venture with government to make it work. "Yes it is going to cost in the low billions to do it and I'm not pretending it will be easy". When it was put to him that there are not billions of pounds in the Welsh Government budget for that, he said: "Once a blast furnace has been closed down to re-open that particular blast furnace is very, very difficult. "Nothing is impossible but it might be difficult. It might be easier build a new one, could a Welsh Government, a Welsh devolved Government do it on its own? It would need some help from a national UK Government too. "That's why I've phrased all this this morning very, very, carefully to not saying we will do this once we're in control in Cardiff, this would be an ambition, we'd need a Westminster government to approve this and, who knows, it could be us in time too, and we need to work with companies as well. But as an ambition it's the right one." He added: "It is difficult to know how much leverage Welsh Government could have over these things". Mr Farage also seemed to qualify the claim in his opinion piece about coal mining when questioned. In the WalesOnline opinion piece he said: "We would allow coal, if suitable, to be mined in Wales", but in the interview he said he was only referencing "specialist small scale" mines. During the press conference, he was asked whether he thought young people would want to work in mines. To that he replied: "If you offer people well paid jobs you'd be surprised how many will take them even though we all accept mining is dangerous". Neither the UK or Welsh government has expressed a desire for coal mining to resume. Article continues below The Coal Authority remains the licensing authority for all coal-mining operations carried out in Wales but Welsh Ministers have overall approval or refusal rights. However, Welsh Government policy is that coal extraction should not be permitted. Any application will be considered, but the Welsh Government is clear, the presumption being against any coal extraction.
Pembrokeshire Herald
a day ago
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Farage pledges coal revival and steelworks comeback for Wales
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Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Vile LA rioters target agents at their hotels and threaten to 'burn them' as law enforcement faces death threats
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