Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra on Tuesday hit out at the government, accusing it of orchestrating a systematic campaign to silence dissenting artistes in the wake of the controversy surrounding his alleged “gaddar” (traitor) joke on Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde.
In a post on X with the title “How to kill an Artist ‘democratically”, Kunal Kamra shared what he described as a “playbook” used by the ruling government to stifle free speech and artistic expression.
“1) Outrage just enough for brands to stop commissioning their work. 2) Outrage more—until private and corporate gigs dry up. 3) Outrage louder—so big venues won’t take the risk. 4) Outrage violently—until even the smallest spaces shut their doors. 5) Summon their audience for questioning—turning art into a crime scene. Now the artist is left with only two choices: Sell their soul and become a dollar puppet—or wither in silence.”
Kamra went on to say that “this isn’t just a playbook, it’s a political weapon. A silencing machine”.
