Comedian Kunal Kamra uploaded a new video on Tuesday related to the controversy over his remarks allegedly targeting Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde.
The comedian has shared snippets of the protest against his remarks on the deputy CM, along with a backgrounder of his song from the controversial show.
While performing at the Habitat Studio at the Unicontinental Hotel in Mumbai’s Khar area, Kunal Kamra had referred to Shinde as a “traitor”. He also sang from a Hindi movie to describe Shinde’s 2022 rebellion against his then-boss, Uddhav Thackeray.
After the video of his show was released on YouTube, several Shiv Sena workers went to the studio where Kamra performed and vandalised it on Sunday night.
Based on a complaint from Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel, the Khar police have registered an FIR against Kamra for allegedly making defamatory remarks against Shinde.
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The police also summoned Kunal Kamra, asking him to appear before the investigating officer at 11am on Tuesday.
The police have registered a case against 40 Shiv Sena workers for vandalising the Habitat studio in Mumbai’s Khar area, where Kamra’s show was filmed, and a hotel where the studio is located.
Shiv Sena functionary Rahul Kanal and 11 others were arrested by the police on Monday for ransacking the show venue. A local court granted them bail the same day.
Meanwhile, in his first reaction to the controversy, Kunal Kamra said that he would not apologise for his comments about Eknath Shinde and criticised the vandalism of the venue where his comedy show was recorded.
“I will not apologise… I don’t fear this mob & I will not be hiding under my bed, waiting for this to die down,” Kamra wrote in a statement.
Eknath Shinde said that while he understands satire, but added that there should be a limit.
“Freedom of speech is there and we understand satire, but there should be a limit,” Shinde said in his first statement on the row. The deputy CM added that the comedian’s jokes on him were “like taking a ‘supari’ (contract) to speak against someone”.
