Silly season in Maharashtra

Why vandalism is an unacceptable response to an unfunny joke by a comedian

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Kunal Kamra is a standup comedian who makes a living mostly by making fun of politicians in power. There can surely be a debate about the quality of his jokes, though people do have the right to perform inferior comedy. However, no one can threaten a person or vandalise a venue for bad jokes.

This is why the violence by Shiv Sena cadres at the venue (The Habitat in Khar, Mumbai) where Kamra lampooned deputy CM Eknath Shinde on Sunday is unacceptable. That the Shiv Sena is part of the government, responsible for upholding law and order and protecting the constitutional rights of citizens—the right to freedom of speech and expression is protected under Article 19—makes it worse.