Mumbai: Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra came under fire for a comment on Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde. On Sunday, March 23, furious Shiv Sena activists ransacked a hotel in Mumbai’s Khar area while calling for an FIR against Kamra.
As per police, the incident happened when Kamra went viral for a video in which he was cracking jokes on Eknath Shinde. Sanjay Raut, a leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), posted the video with the caption, “Kunal Ka Kamaal.”
Shiv Sena leader Kunal Sarmalkar issued a warning to Kamra to ‘increase his count’ and threatened to beat him wherever he found him. He also said Kamra was doing it on someone else’s order, and he said, “If I do not make you bend down, I am not Kunal.
Condemning the statement, former central minister and Shiv Sena leader Milind Deora said Eknath Shinde went from being an auto-rickshaw driver to leading the second-largest state in the country. Declaring war on the snobbery of the mostly privileged who have many, many degrees of virtue signalling and distastefully privilege against indigenous Indians, all the ascriptive talent-worship leaders and DSP morons, he had turned his back on the old sycophantic system of feudalism that pretended meritocratic and democratic values still prevailed and so was venerated.
Even Sanjay Nirupam joined the chorus against Kamra, threatening to beat up the comedian at 11 a.m. the next day after he breached ‘seva’ to join Shiv Sena from Congress. Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske said Kamra would have to run away from the country if he doesn’t stop. Mhaske further warned: ‘Shiv Sena workers will track Kamra wherever he goes in the country.’ Calling Kamra “a paid comedian,” he warned that an insult to Shinde would have “serious repercussions” for him.
Rahul Kanal, the Shiv Sena leader, lodged a complaint with the Khar police station and asked to register a case against Kamra and three others, Rahul Gandhi, Sanjay Raut and Aditya Thackeray, for allegedly tarnishing the image of Eknath Shinde.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aditya Thackeray condemned the incident of vandalism in the hotel, calling it a cowardly act. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), he slammed the gang that vandalised the stage of the comedy show where Kamra had performed, and he said the song against Shinde was “full of truth.”
Standing by Kamra, Sanjay Raut said, “Kamra is a recognised writer and stand-up comic. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi blames supporters of Shinde for “overreacting” and vandalising Kamra’s studio. He severely criticised Maharashtra’s Home Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, for appearing weak in his response.
In another post, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi endorsed Kamra, stating that the “people who make these threats will come after him, but the people of Maharashtra feel the same way as you, Kamra.”. Another quote she shared was from Voltaire: “I may disagree with your thoughts, but I will defend your right to say them until my last breath.”
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