In what could spell serious trouble for comedian Kunal Kamra, the attorney general of India has given his nod to sue him under contempt of court law for insulting the Supreme Court. AG K K Venugopal has said that Kamra's tweets were "bad in taste and crossed the lines between humour and contempt".
The AG was served with an application by an Aurangabad-based advocate, Shrirang Katneshwarkar, seeking his approval to prosecute Kamra for criminal contempt of court.
Notably, Kamra had posted a series of tweets criticising the apex court for granting bail to Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami. In one of his tweets, Kamra had termed SC as the "supreme joke of India".
After going through all the tweets, Venugopal, in his letter permitting to sue Kamra under contempt law, said, "The tweets are not only bad in taste but have also crossed the lines between humour and contempt."
The AG further referred to another tweet of Kamra, wherein he had posted a photograph of the apex court in saffron colour, with a BJP flag on it, in place of the tricolour.
"This is a gross insinuation against the entirety of the Supreme Court that it isn't an independent and impartial institution and so too its judges but on the other hand, is the court of the ruling BJP party and exits for its benefit," Venugopal said in his consent letter.
"All these tweets in my opinion would amount to criminal contempt of court," Venugopal said, while leaving it to the top court to decide whether other tweets by Kamra would also attract the contempt law.
The AG further opined that today people thought they could boldly and brazenly condemn the top court and its judges under the garb of free speech. "But free speech under the Constitution is subject to the law of contempt. I believe it's time that people understand that attacking the top court and its judges unjustifiedly and brazenly will attract punishment under the contempt of court law," he said, while giving his consent to prosecute Kamra.
