Indian stand-up comic sets off free speech debate with parody song


A general view of a blackened out signboard of The Habitat, a studio where Kunal Kamra, a stand-up comedian, performed following which the studio was ransacked by the supporters of Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, in Mumbai, India, March 26, 2025. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra faces police scrutiny for a performance seen to have criticised a key politician and ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, fanning concerns about the limits of free speech in the world’s largest democracy.

The ensuing violence triggered comment on social media and prime time shows, even as Kamra refused to apologise over an accusation that his use of the term "traitor" referenced Eknath Shinde, the deputy chief minister of India's richest state.

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