Mumbai: The Mumbai police on Monday registered an FIR against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra for allegedly making defamatory remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a show, officials said.
The police also registered a case against nearly 40 Shiv Sena workers for allegedly vandalising the Habitat Studio in Mumbai’s Khar area, where Kamra’s show with “gaddar” (traitor) jibe at Shinde was filmed, as well as a hotel in whose premises the studio is located, they said.
A large number of Shiv Sena workers on Sunday night gathered outside Hotel Unicontinental, where the studio is located. They allegedly ransacked the studio and the hotel premises, the police said.
Notably, the Habitat Studio, where Kamra’s show was held, is the same venue where the controversial ‘India’s Got Latent’ show had been filmed.
After a video went viral showing Kamra allegedly using defamatory words against Shinde, Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel lodged a police complaint.
Based on the complaint, the MIDC police here registered a First Information Report (FIR) in the early hours of Monday against Kamra under various Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) actions, including 353(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356(2) (defamation), an official said.
In the nearly 2-minute video, Kamra also mocked the ruling NCP and Shiv Sena, the MIDC police station official said, adding an investigation was underway.
Another FIR was registered by the Khar police against 19 Shiv Sena functionaries, who have been named, including Rahul Kanal (Yuva Sena), Vibhag Pramukh Kunal Sarmarkar and Akshay Panvelkar, and 15 to 20 unidentified persons for allegedly vandalising the Habitat Studio as well as ransacking the hotel properties, an official said.
Panvelkar, Sarmarkar and other Shiv Sainiks entered the hotel and studio and damaged them, Khar police sub-inspector Vijay Saed, on whose complaint the FIR was lodged, alleged in his statement.
They were shouting slogans like “Shiv Sena Zindabad”. When the police intervened, they allegedly pushed the on-duty police personnel and also manhandled the hotel staffers. They were later brought to the police station for further probe, Saed said.
The case against the Shiv Sainiks was registered under various BNS sections, including for damaging private property and unlawful assembly, the official added.
The video of Kamra’s jibe at Shinde was also posted on X by rival Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut by saying “Kunal Ka Kamal”.
Kamra taunted Shinde using a modified version of a Hindi song from the film “Dil To Pagal Hai”, eliciting laughter from the audience.
Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske on Sunday warned Kamra that he would be chased by the party workers throughout the country. “You will be forced to flee India,” he said in a video message.
Calling Kamra a “contract comedian”, Mhaske said he should not have stepped on the “tail of a snake (apparently referring to Shinde)”.
“Once the fangs are out, there will be dire consequences,” he warned.
The MP from Thane also alleged that the comedian had accepted money from Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and was targeting Shinde.
Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel said he would show “Kamra his level” and asked him to apologise.
Sena (UBT) legislator Aaditya Thackeray, however, slammed the vandalism at the show venue, calling it a “cowardly” act.
In a post on X late Sunday night, Thackeray said, “Mindhe’s coward gang breaks the comedy show stage where comedian @kunalkamra88 put out a song on eknath mindhe, which was 100 per cent true. Only an insecure coward would react to a song by someone.”
“By the way, law and order in the state? Another attempt to undermine the CM and Home Minister by Eknath Mindhe,” he said.
