Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra faces political backlash after calling Eknath Shinde ‘traitor’

Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has landed in a controversy after cracking a joke on Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in his recent standup act ‘Naya Bharat’ in Mumbai.

Kamra referred to Shinde as a ‘gaddar’ during his performance at the Habitat Comedy Club on March 23 night.

The performance featured a parody song, set to the tune of Dil To Pagal Hai, referring to Shinde’s 2022 defection from the undivided Shiv Sena.

Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske warned Kamra that he would be forced to flee India by his party workers. “You will be forced to flee India,” he said in a video message.

He went on to call Kamra a “contract comedian,” saying 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 threatened Kamra.

The video of Kamra's jibe at Shinde was also shared by rival Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on X saying “Kunal Ka Kamal”.

In the nearly 2-minute clip, Kamra also mocked the ruling NCP and Shiv Sena, an official said, adding an investigation was underway.

An FIR was registered on March 24 against Kamra under various Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) actions, including 353(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356(2) (defamation), an official from MIDC police station said.
After his remarks were widely shared on the internet, the venue where the video was recorded was vandalized by angry Shiv Sena workers.

Mumbai police arrested Shiv Sena functionary Rahul Kanal along with 11 others for ransacking the show’s venue at a Mumbai hotel.

Commenting on the controversy, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated, “Everyone has a right to perform stand-up comedy. But freedom should not be unrestrained behaviour. Kamra should apologize for his behaviour. The insult of leaders cannot be tolerated. Action will be taken against him as per the law.”

However, Uddhav Thackeray said the stand-up comedian didn’t do anything wrong.

Kamra’s controversy comes just a month after comedian Samay Raina’s India’s Got Latent row.

YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, also known as BeerBiceps, faced several FIRs and online hatred after he made inappropriate remarks on Raina’s show in February at the same venue.

Other content creators appearing on the show also faced backlash which included Apoorva Makhija, Jaspreet Singh, Ashish Chanchlani, and the show's producers, Tusha Poojari and Saurabh Bothra.

Meanwhile, the studio has released a statement saying it is going to shut down and is shocked by the acts of vandalism.

"We are shocked, worried and extremely broken by the recent acts of vandalism targeting us.

"Artists are solely responsible for their views and creative choices. We have never been involved in the content performed by any Artist, but the recent events have made us rethink about how we get blamed and targeted every time almost like we are a proxy for the performer," the Habitat said in a statement.

"We are shutting down till we figure out the best way to provide a platform for free expression without putting ourselves and our property in jeopardy," it added.