Freedom of speech has its limits: Ashwini Vaishnaw backs Kunal Kamra summons

NEW DELHI: Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday backed the summons issued to stand-up comedian

Kunal Kamra

for making derogatory references to Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde, asserting that it should be done if it is required under the law of the land.
He added that while the Constitution grants citizens certain rights, they are accompanied by some safeguards. "As a society, we have to work within the framework of the Constitution.

Freedom of speech

and expression is well laid out. Everybody respects it. The Constitution has also laid certain safeguards on it and those safeguards are as important as the rights," he said at

Times Now Summit 2025

, co-presented by Dream Sports and Powered by Pernod Ricard India. He said if everyone followed the safeguards, society would work in a harmonious way. "What is right in western society might not be right in our society. There are different cultural contexts to everything," Vaishnaw said.
He said India will soon introduce its first indigenous semiconductor chip as five semiconductor units are currently under construction, and added that India's

electronics manufacturing

sector, once negligible, has now become one of the top three export sectors.
Inaugurating the event, Times Group MD Vineet Jain said, "Bharat is not just a nation. We are an ancient civilization, known for wisdom and resilience, shaping the world throughout history. As we step into an era of unprecedented global transformation our challenge is clear, how do we ensure that Bharat doesn't just keep pace with the world, but leads it? In our resolute journey towards becoming an authoritative global superpower, it is important to strategise what will ensure that our trajectory remains steadfast."