“It almost feels like hate has become the price of citizenship in this country,” says comedian Daniel Fernandes in a 25-minute stand-up video uploaded two weeks ago.
On June 4, 2025, Fernandes revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that he had received a legal notice from two Supreme Court lawyers, demanding he take down his recent stand-up video. The notice refers to segments in the performance related to the recent attack in Kashmir and another unrelated clip. He has been given a deadline until June 3 to remove the video or face legal proceedings.
The notice alleges that Fernandes’ stand-up and accompanying post on X “mock cultural values and trivialise the Pahalgam attack, causing widespread hurt.”
In response to the legal notice, Fernandes wrote, “As a comedian and citizen of India, I strongly believe in the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a). The content in question is satire, a long-recognised and protected form of commentary in democratic societies.”
He further explained that stand-up comedy often relies on exaggeration and hyperbole, and that any examination of such material should consider the context within which these words are spoken.
The notice highlighted six specific statements made by Fernandes in his stand-up routine about the Pahalgam attack, along with another unrelated statement. These included his remarks on the Home Minister, criticisms of mainstream media, an alleged call for a ‘nuclear war,’ the absence of Prime Minister Modi following the attack, and references to an incident where the foreign secretary and his family were attacked after India declared a ceasefire.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.
