CM Rekha Gupta warns Kunal Kamra can perform ‘at his own risk', comedian mocks it as 'Delhi tourism tagline'

Mint

11 hours ago

Comedian Kunal Kamra took a swipe at Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta by suggesting that 'come at your own risk' should be a tagline for Delhi Tourism. Kamra's remark was in response to Gupta's earlier said that Kamra could come and perform in Delhi, but 'at his own risk'.
"'Come at your own risk' should be a tagline for Delhi Tourism," Kamra posted on their social media handle X.
While speaking at a media event organised by The Indian Express group, Chief Minister Gupta was asked if she would allow comedians like Kunal Kamra to do a show in Delhi, where he would likely crack jokes on the Prime Minister and other people. The CM responded: 'He can come at his own risk. People of Delhi would listen to him.'
When another newspaper representative asked how a chief minister can say 'at his own risk' and not at her assurance, Gupta responded, 'Right, you come, I will welcome you.'
In another post, Kamra said, 'Spoke like a true ABVP Karyakarta while having the opportunity to speak as a dignified Chief Minister.'
Stand-up comic Kamra has been in the eye of a storm over his February 2025 YouTube special, Naya Bharat, in which he used a modified version of a Hindi song from the Shahrukh-Khan starrer Dil Toh Pagal Hai to describe the 2022 rebellion of Eknath Shinde against Uddhav Thackeray.
'Come at your own risk' should be a tagline for Delhi Tourism.
In the video, filmed at the Habitat Studio at the UniContinental hotel in Mumbai's Khar district, Kamra took a dig at Eknath Shinde through a parody of a Bollywood song, labelling him a 'gaddar' for his political manoeuvrings.
The Habitat Studio was allegedly vandalised by workers linked to Shiv Sena (Shinde Group).
In 2020, Kunal Kamra shared a video of him heckling Republic TV founder Arnab Goswami on board a Mumbai-Lucknow Indigo flight in 2020.
In a two-minute video he posted on his Twitter account (now X), Kamra is heard saying to Arnab, 'Here, I am asking coward Arnab about his journalism and he is doing exactly what I expected him to do.' Throughout all this, Arnab kept quiet.
The video divided the internet. Some, including Congress MP Shashi Tharoor supported Kamra. Others, including the then Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri called Kamra's behaviour 'offensive'
After an investigation, IndiGo banned Kamra for six months, deeming his act a Level 1 offence. Later, the ban was reduced to three months. Other airlines, including Air India, SpiceJet, and GoAir, also followed suit, imposing similar bans on the comedian.
Key Takeaways Political satire remains a contentious issue in India, especially regarding public performances.
Comedians often use humor to address and critique political statements and figures.
Public figures should be prepared for their comments to be scrutinized and satirized.