‘Don’t Intend to Retract, Apologise’: Kunal Kamra on Contempt Row

“My view hasn’t changed because the silence of SC on matters of other’s personal liberty cannot go uncriticised.”

Comedian Kunal Kamra has been banned from flying by four airlines.

(Photo Courtesy: YouTube Screengrab)

Comedian Kunal Kamra on Friday, 13 November, said that he doesn't intend to retract his tweets or apologise for them, a day after Attorney General KK Venuguopal gave his consent to initiate contempt of court proceedings against him for his tweets about the Supreme Court.

"My view hasn't changed because the silence of the Supreme Court of India on matters of other's personal liberty cannot go uncriticised. I don't intend to retract my tweets or apologise for them. I believe they speak for themselves," he said in a statement posted on Twitter, addressed to the judges and the attorney general.

"The Supreme Court of India hasn't yet declared my tweets anything as of now but if and when they do I hope they can have a small laugh before declaring them Contempt of Court," Kamra added.

Attorney General Venugopal, in his letter on Thursday referred to Kamra's tweets as "highly objectionable" and "in bad taste".

What Kamra Had Tweeted

Kunal Kamra on Wednesday, 11 November, shared a series of tweets concerning the Supreme Court of India in connection with the interim bail granted to Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami.

Two of Kamra’s tweets which AG Venugopala referred to were:

“Honour has left the building (Supreme Court) long back”

"The Supreme Court of this Country is the most Supreme joke of this country."

AG Venugopala also referred to a third tweet by Kamra. He said that it constituted criminal contempt: an image of the Supreme Court building dressed in saffron colours with the BJP flag on top instead of the national flag.

‘Gross Insinuation Against Supreme Court of India’

This is a gross insinuation against the entirety of the Supreme Court of India that the Supreme Court of India is not an independent and impartial institution and so too its judges, but on the other hand is a Court of the ruling party, the BJP, existing for the BJP’s benefit.”

AG KK Venugopala

AG Venugopala was responding to a letter sent by a law student and two lawyers who accused Kamra of scandalising the apex court.