Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Monday hit out at comedian Kunal Kamra for ‘insulting’ his deputy Eknath Shinde, adding that “legal action” will be taken.
Kamra is under fire for a stand-up comedy set he performed Sunday, titled ‘Naya Bharat,’ a satirical take on the current political conditions in the country, where he used a song to call Shinde a “gaddar” (traitor).
Speaking to the media outside the Maharashtra Assembly, Fadnavis said, “The manner in which stand-up comedian Kamra has tried to insult Maharashtra former CM and deputy CM Shri Eknath Shinde, through the medium of a song, is wrong. We condemn this. This cannot be tolerated.”
He added, “Kamra should know that the public decided in the 2024 elections who is a traitor and who is a self-made person.” He added that Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena had received a “stamp” of approval from people.
The CM said that people had the right to do comedy but not to “deliberately” insult such “big leaders”, adding that “Legal action will be taken according to the law.”
Fadnavis also said there were limits to the freedom of speech, particularly if it “attacks” someone else’s freedom and thoughts and that Kamra should apologise.
2024 के चुनाव में जनता ने निर्णय कर दिया था, ‘कौन गद्दार है, कौन खुद्दार है…’
स्टैंडअप कॉमेडियन कुणाल कामरा द्वारा उपमुख्यमंत्री एकनाथ शिंदे जी को अपमानित करना निंदनीय है। उन्होंने इसके लिए माफ़ी मांगनी चाहिए!
(मीडिया से संवाद | मुंबई | 24-3-2025)#Maharashtra #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/kDznwvs8X5
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) March 24, 2025
On Sunday, Kamra’s set, performed at the Habitat club, Hotel Unicontinental, in Mumbai’s Khar neighbourhood irked the Shiv Sena (Shinde), who, led by general secretary Rahool Kanal, then vandalised the venue.
Speaking to the media Monday, Kanal said, “This is just a trailer and picture abhi baki hai (has yet to come)… We had complained; we had also called the owner (of Habitat set) and told him that there had been 6 FIRs against this place in the past.”
“Our message for Kunal Kamra is that we will teach him a lesson for what he did, but this is a paid conspiracy, and the Mumbai Police is capable of exposing it,” he said.
So far, two cases have been registered at the Khar police station—one against Kamra for derogatory comments, while the other is against those who ransacked the hotel.
Kanal, along with a number of others, were arrested on charges of vandalism Monday.
“Further investigation is going on,” Dixit Gedam, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 9, where Khar lies, told ThePrint.
Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) inspected the Habitat studio and began a demolition drive after Shiv Sena leader (Shinde) and Minister Pratap Sarnaik early Monday alleged that the studio was illegal.
While Kamra has not directly addressed the controversy, in the early hours of Monday, he posted an image of himself holding up the Indian Constitution on X, with the caption, “The only way forward…”
Oppn question law & order
The incident has spiraled into political controversy, with Mahayuti leaders standing firmly with Shinde and the Opposition questioning law and order in the state.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar Monday said, “Nobody should go beyond law, Constitution, and rules. They should speak within their rights. No one is above law.”
Sarnaik, while talking about the vandalism, told the media, “As a minister, I don’t support the incident that took place yesterday.”
“But I am a Shiv Sainik before I am a minister. Our Shiv Sainiks took that action because if anyone speaks anything against our party chief and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, we will not tolerate it.” Sarnaik visited Khar police station after the FIR was filed against the Shiv Sena workers.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Nana Patole, speaking to the media outside the assembly Monday, said, “There is no law and order in Maharashtra.”
“People are leaving Maharashtra out of fear. The industries are leaving from here. The government urges that there should be peace in the state, but they are engaging in vandalism like this. They want to destroy Maharashtra.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut and Aaditya Thackeray supported Kamra and said that the incident shows that the government has low tolerance for criticism.
Mindhe’s coward gang breaks the comedy show stage where comedian @kunalkamra88 put out a song on eknath mindhe which was 100% true.
Only an insecure coward would react to a song by someone.
Btw law and order in the state?
Another attempt to undermine the CM and Home Minister…
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) March 23, 2025
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
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