The controversy surrounding Kunal Kamra shows no signs of fading anytime soon. The stand-up comedian recently came under fire for his latest joke about Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde.
Last week, Kamra released a video titled Naya Bharat, commenting on Maharashtra's ongoing political turmoil, particularly the split between the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Using humor, he criticized the situation, saying, "Jo inhone Maharashtra ke election me kiya hai... bolna padega... Pehle Shiv Sena BJP se bahar aa gayi, phir Shiv Sena Shiv Sena se bahar aa gayi... NCP NCP se bahar aa gayi... Ek voter ko 9 button de diye... sab confuse ho gaye..."
("What they did in Maharashtra's election... I have to say... First, Shiv Sena broke away from BJP, then Shiv Sena broke away from itself... NCP broke away from NCP... They gave voters nine buttons... everyone got confused...")
Without directly naming him, Kunal Kamra referred to Eknath Shinde as a "gaddar" (traitor). He sang a satirical version of a song from Dil To Pagal Hai, seemingly hinting at Shinde's political journey from Thane to Guwahati.
Though Kamra did not name Shinde, the reference was clear, as Shinde represents Maharashtra's Thane assembly constituency. He further added, "Yeh politics hai inki, parivarvad khatam karna tha, kisi ka baap chura liya" ("This is their politics; they wanted to end family politics but ended up stealing someone's father").
As soon as the video went viral, Kunal Kamra faced backlash from political leaders. A group of Shiv Sena supporters vandalised 'The Habitat' in Khar West, Mumbai, where the video was shot.
In addition to a massive social media outcry from some political leaders, multiple FIRs have been filed against him.
Amid the ongoing investigation, a team from Khar police visited comedian Kunal Kamra's Mahim residence on Monday, March 31, after he failed to appear before them in connection with the FIR registered over his remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Kamra criticised the Mumbai Police for visiting his old residence as part of the investigation.
Taking a dig at the authorities, Kunal Kamra took to Instagram and wrote, "Going to an address where I haven't lived for the last 10 years is a waste of your time & public resources..."
He shared the post alongside an image of himself enjoying the evening sun on his balcony. According to his Instagram bio, Kamra is currently in Puducherry.
Kunal Kamra granted Interim Anticipatory Bail
The Madras High Court has granted interim anticipatory bail to Kunal Kamra until April 7 in the controversial joke case related to his stand-up comedy video Naya Bharat on YouTube.
On Friday, Kamra's lawyers filed a petition in the High Court, stating that he moved from Mumbai to Tamil Nadu in 2021 and has been "ordinarily a resident of this state since then." They argued that he feared arrest by the Mumbai Police.
Meanwhile, Shinde's party leaders and workers had threatened to assault him if he was seen anywhere in public.
On the other hand, Kunal Kamra has refused to issue an apology for his comments and has criticised the vandalism of the venue where his comedy show was recorded.
In a lengthy post n social media, he wrote, "I will not apologize. What I said is exactly what Ajit Pawar (Maharashtra Deputy CM) said about Eknath Shinde."
Speaking about freedom of speech, he asserted, "Our right to freedom of speech and expression is not just for fawning over the powerful and rich, even though today's media would have us believe otherwise. Your inability to take a joke at the expense of a powerful public figure does not change the nature of my right. As far as I know, it is not against the law to poke fun at our leaders and the circus that is our political system."
Sarcastically, he added, "Perhaps for my next venue, I will opt for Elphinstone Bridge or any other structure in Mumbai
