Comedian Daniel Fernandes took to his social media channels this morning to respond to a legal notice he received for the subject matter of his standup comedy clip The Kashmir Terror Attack. In the video uploaded 12 days ago, Fernandes takes aim at the misinformation that was being peddled by news outlets in the wake of Operation Sindoor, and the social media discourse that ensued. The legal notice was sent last week by two Supreme Court lawyers, namely Adv. Makarand D Adkar and Adv. Amita Sachdeva.

“As concerned citizens of India, we are distressed by the offensive content in your recent YouTube stand-up comedy video and X post dated April 14, 2025,” read the notice. “These mock cultural values and trivialize the Pahalgam terror attack, causing widespread hurt.” The duo provided timestamps for the sections that they found offensive and gave Fernandes until 3 June to take down the video or face legal action. They alleged that Fernandes’ material insulted the Union Home Minister, undermined trust in governance, maligned India’s image on a global scale and trivialised the Kashmir conflict and Pahalgam attack.

Fernandes shared his response to the notice in his Instagram post, rebutting their claims. “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),” he wrote. “The content in question is satire, a long-recognised and protected form of commentary in democratic societies.” He also went on to address each section they had highlighted in their notice. In closing, he stated that all the bits that they had taken offence to fall within the scope of satire and social commentary.

“Keeping this in mind, I would like to politely decline your request to delete these clips, as I firmly believe that art—no matter how provocative—should be allowed to exist,” he added. “We must call upon each other to display maturity and discretion in our personal choices regarding the viewing of such art.”

“The growing trend of stifling voices, whether it’s the treatment of students in America who speak up for Palestine, or the vandalising of comedy clubs in India and now notices like these, for simply speaking truth to power should worry us all,” he wrote in the caption. “[…] I have decided to take a humble stand for the art form I love so deeply, and I hope that someday more comedians will feel confident to talk about stuff that matters to us freely, without the fear of threats and intimidation.”