SSC CGL 18 Jul 2023 Shift 1 Paper

A. If a regular citizen shares a funny meme on social media that lampoons a political leader, they are exercising their freedom of thought and expression, which is a way of registering their dissent. 

B. The cases of Kanojia and Sharma are only the most recent ones in a long history of people being penalised for mocking those in power - earlier, it was only cartoonists and comedians who had this particular pleasure, but now, with social media, simply sharing something that mocks the powers that be constitutes adequate reason for persecution.
C. Laughter has offended the powerful all over the world throughout history - the emperor must not be laughed at, for he is above laughter, as Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes showed us. 

D. In light of this, should it provoke such a draconian response from those being mocked if their claim to power is legitimate?