Kamra questions privilege notice: ‘Can't be used as shield against embarrassment'

Time of India

a day ago

Mumbai: Asserting that his remarks on deputy CM
Eknath Shinde
didn't interfere with the functioning of the state legislature, standup comic Kunal Kamra has said the notice on the breach of privilege motion moved against him appears to be mala fide and motivated.
A breach of privilege motion is not meant to shield legislature members from the embarrassment or discomfort caused by a citizen's legitimate exercise of his freedom of speech, regardless of what position they occupy in the executive, he said in his reply to the notice. He said Shinde can't be equated to or conflated with the entire Vidhan Sabha.
Legislature officials said state law department authorities are in agreement and have cited various Supreme Court orders to say that a breach of privilege motion can sustain only if a person's act restricts a legislator from discharging his/her legislative duties.
Officials said they had recommended against admitting the motion, but legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde eventually decided to do so and send it to the privileges committee to initiate proceedings.
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The council chair had in June admitted the motion moved three months prior by BJP MLC Pravin Darekar against Kamra over his parody song alluding to the deputy CM. Legislature officials said Kamra could be summoned after the privileges committee examines his reply.
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In June, following reports that breach of privilege proceedings had been initiated against him, Karma had said in a post on X, "The real breach of trust is letting people die in public transport every day."
During a standup show, Kamra had performed a parody of a popular Hindi song that referred to Shinde's rebellion against the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA govt in 2022 and alluded to him a "gaddar" (traitor). He also made jokes about political developments in Maharashtra in recent years, including party splits within Shiv Sena and NCP. "Shiv Sena first came out of BJP, then Shiv Sena came out of Shiv Sena. NCP came out of NCP, they gave nine buttons to one voter.
.. Everyone got confused," Kamra had said.
On July 18, the legislative council passed a motion allowing the privileges committee to submit its report on Kamra by the last date of the legislature's next session.