Sanjay Raut sides with Yogi Adityanath on free speech in Kunal Kamra row—with a catch

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, known for his sharp criticism of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has now sided with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on his ‘freedom of expression’ stance in the Kunal Kamra controversy. While backing his opposition is rare for Sanjay Raut, it did come with a catch.

As Kunal Kamra battles a series of threats and legal action over his parody song about a ‘traitor’, Yogi Adityanath said the freedom of expression does not mean that individuals can use it to attack someone else. He said the law should take action against such people “who are creating differences in the country.”

Agreeing with Yogi Adityanath on his freedom of expression remarks in the Kunal Kamra case, Sanjay Raut said while he sides with the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, “Kamra did not mention anyone's name”.

“I agree with what Yogi Ji said -- freedom of speech doesn't mean people can say just anything. But what did Kamra say? He didn't mention anyone's name. He commented on a situation that happened in Maharashtra using satire,” Sanjay Raut said.

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“I often listen to poets like Kumar Vishwas and Surendra Sharma, and they, too, use satire. Vandalizing property in response to Kamra's words is not justified.”

What did Kunal Kamra say?

Kunal Kamra sparked up a political storm with his controversial 'gaddar' (traitor) joke at a show. While he did not name anyone as ‘traitor’, angered workers of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena party ransacked the comedian's performance site.

Eknath Shinde, who rose to prominence after breaking away from Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, a long-term ally of Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, has said he did not support violence by his party workers, but added that Kunal Kamra's jokes were not in good taste.