Supreme Court Issues Notice To Kunal Kamra & Rachita Taneja Under Contempt Of Court

In recent years, our country’s democracy has been witness to several dynamic shifts. We saw individual after individual being reprimanded for actions well within their rights. Whether that be a comedian on a flight, an activist at a protest, a journalist just looking to tell the truth or even a slew of artists, no one seems to be entirely safe if they wish to call out the establishment.

Following suit are the cases of comedian Kunal Kamra and Sanitary Panels cartoonist Rachita Taneja. The former was under scrutiny for several so-called “distasteful” tweets against the Supreme Court and the ruling party, while the latter mocked government practices through webcomics.

The contempt charges for both individuals were given the green light by Attorney General KK Venugopal, and now, the Supreme Court has issued notices to them on petitions seeking criminal contempt action against them, reported Bar And Bench. The decision was delivered by a three-judge bench comprising Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy, and MR Shah. While both artists have been asked to file replies within six weeks, they have not been mandated to appear in person.

Kunal Kamra has been under the radar possibly since his encounter with Republic TV Editor-In-Chief Arnab Goswami, where he raised questions about the country’s situation, garnering support as well as hate. Rachita Taneja of Sanitary Panels, on the other hand, has been actively vocal about issues of caste, gender, politics, privilege and more for long. Both personalities resonate similar views - clearly, these are views that do not sit well with those that occupy seats in Court and are capable of action against the Contempt of Court Act, 1971.

While it is possible that Kunal Kamra and Rachita Taneja were simply shining light on deep crevices weakening the Indian democracy, the higher authorities’ view of the situation differs by a margin large enough to punish artists with criminal contempt, for which the punishment may be up to six months imprisonment with a fine up to INR 2000.

The Supreme Court of the largest democracy in the world allowing these cases to move forward signifies many facets of our country. It reveals that our system is fragile - that it mistakes or perceives criticism in different forms as a deliberate attack to its integrity. It shows us that the reasonable restrictions on our free speech are beyond reasonable. The Institution’s reputation is not jarred by others’ comments, but by its own actions - actions such as these notices.

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