Kunal Kamra reacted after the comment on Shinde, said- I am not afraid of the crowd, will do the next show on Elphinstone Bridge

Mumbai. Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra is once again embroiled in controversy. There was a huge uproar after his recent comment on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Amidst this controversy, Kunal Kamra has issued a statement clarifying his position. In this statement, he has clearly refused to apologize and has questioned the freedom of expression. Also, he has taken a dig at those who are leaking his number and threatening him. Kunal Kamra said, “What I said is exactly what Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said about the other Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.” Kamra had targeted Shinde through a satirical song in his new comedy show “Naya Bharat”. In this song, he referred to the division of Shiv Sena in 2022 and Shinde’s rebellion and called him a “traitor”. This comment did not go down well with the workers of Shinde-led Shiv Sena, after which the Habitat Studio in Khar area of ​​​​Mumbai, where the show was filmed, was vandalized on Sunday night.

I am not afraid of this mob – Kamra
Kamra also took on the media by questioning freedom of expression. He said, “The media should remember that press freedom in India is ranked 159th.” He said, “I am not afraid of this mob and neither are we going to hide. I will not hide under the bed and wait for this controversy to end.”

Questioning the equal use of law, Kamra said, “I will cooperate with the police and the court, but will the law be applied fairly and equally against those who have justified vandalism by being offended by a joke? And against those unelected members of the BMC who came to Habitat today without notice and smashed the place with hammers?”

Will do next show at Elphinstone Bridge: Kamra
Condemning the attack on Habitat studios, he said, “An entertainment venue is only a stage. Habitat (or any other venue) is not responsible for my humour, nor does it have any control over what I say or do. A political party attacking a venue for the words of a comedian is as absurd as overturning a truck carrying tomatoes because you didn’t like the butter chicken served.” Kamra joked about his next venue, “Maybe for my next show I will choose Elphinstone Bridge or any other structure in Mumbai that needs to be demolished quickly.”

At the same time, he warned political leaders, “The political leaders who are threatening to teach me a lesson should understand that the right to freedom of expression is not just for flattering the powerful and the rich. Joking at a powerful public figure does not change the nature of my right. As far as I know, it is not illegal to joke about our leaders and our political circus.”

A complaint filed at Khar police station
After the incident, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MLA Murji Patel filed a complaint against Kamra at Khar police station, based on which an FIR has been filed against him. Also, Yuva Sena workers protested against Kamra and burnt his photos. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also reacted strongly to the matter and said, “Kunal Kamra has insulted Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Such low level comedy will not be tolerated.”

After the controversy escalated, Kunal Kamra spoke to Mumbai Police on Monday and put forth his side. According to sources, he told the police that he has no regrets over his statement and will not apologise unless the court orders him to do so. Kamra also said, “I said what Maharashtra’s first Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said about Eknath Shinde.” Along with this, he wrote on his social media, “Those who are leaking my number or threatening me must have found out that unknown calls go to my voicemail, where they have to listen to the same song they hate.”

Meanwhile, opposition leader and Shiv Sena (UTB) chief Uddhav Thackeray supported Kamra, saying, “Calling a traitor a traitor is not a crime. Kunal spoke the truth and expressed the sentiments of the public.” On the other hand, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leaders have warned Kamra to apologize within two days, or else threatened “strict action”.

This controversy has heated up the politics of Maharashtra. While on one hand the Mahayuti alliance is calling it a misuse of freedom of expression, on the other hand the Maha Vikas Aghadi is calling it an example of the government’s intolerance.