LIVE: No regrets, will apologise only if told by courts, says Kunal Kamra
CM Fadnavis says comedian should apologise to Shinde; Sena (UBT) supports Kamra and slams vandalism at hotel
A jibe by stand-up comic Kunal Kamra calling Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde a “traitor” has sparked a massive row in the state.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has come out strongly in support of his alliance partner and said the comedian should apologise to the Shiv Sena leader. He said that while he is not against comedy, it is not okay to disrespect someone.
"Such low-level comedy and disrespecting the Deputy Chief Minister is not right," said Fadnavis.
Commenting on the issue, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that everyone despite differences should speak within their rights.
“Nobody should go beyond the law, Constitution, and rules. They should speak within their rights. There can be differences, but it should be noted that there need not be police involvement," he told reporters on Monday (March 24).
FIR against Sena leaders
Slighted by the remark, Shiv Sena workers on Sunday (March 23) vandalised a hotel in Mumbai’s Khar area where Kamra had made the comment during a recent show.
While 11 people, including Sena leaders Narain Kanal and Shrikant Sarmalkar, have been arrested for the vandalism after an FIR was lodged against them, the hotel has been temporarily closed.
A police official told news agency PTI that the party workers reached the auditorium of Hotel Unicontinental in the Khar area, where the show was shot, after a video of Kamra’s jibe against Shinde went viral on social media. They also demanded a FIR to be filed against Kamra.
Also read: Those glorifying Aurangzeb are 'traitors': Eknath Shinde
What Kamra said
In a recent stand-up act Kamra taunted Shinde using a modified version of a Hindi song from the film Dil To Pagal Hai, eliciting laughter from the audience. He called Shinde a ‘gaddar’ (traitor), referring to his move of splitting the Shiv Sena and joining hands with the BJP.
“Thane ki rickshaw, chehre pe daadhi, aakhon me chasma haye! Ek jhalak dikhlae kabhi Guwahati me chhup jae. Meri nazar se tum dekho gaddar nazar wo aaye! (Thane’s rickshaw, bearded face, spectacles on the eyes. He shows us a glance and hides in Guwahati. Seen from my eyes, he looks like a traitor)” he sings, parodying the film’s Bholi Si Surat song.
The dig has triggered a massive outrage among Sena workers with the party calling it a conspiracy to “malign Shinde” and filing cases against Kamra as well as Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut and Aditya Thackeray and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Kamra warned of dire consequences
Sena MP Naresh Mhaske warned Kamra that he would be chased by Sena workers throughout the country. “You will be forced to flee India,” he said in a video message.
Calling Kamra a “contract comedian”, Mhaske, referring to Shinde said he should not have stepped on the “tail of a snake”.
“Once the fangs are out, there will be dire consequences,” he warned.
Watch: Fadnavis vs Shinde: Maharashtra coalition faces fresh crisis
The MP from Thane also alleged that the comedian has accepted money from Sena (UBT0 chief Uddhav Thackeray and is targeting Shinde.
Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel said he would show "Kamra his level" and asked him to apologise.
Sena (UBT) slams vandalism at hotel
Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray slammed the vandalism at the hotel, calling it a "cowardly" act.
In a post on X, 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.
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Live Updates
- 24 March 2025 12:08 PM
Police teams trying to trace and detain Kamra: Minister
Minister of Transport of Maharashtra Pratap Sarnaik said on Monday that the FIR registered in the MIDC police station against Kunal Kamra has been transferred to Khar police station. He further added “I met the senior police officials and inquired about the progress in the probe. Kamra is not in Maharashtra. He has fled to Pondicherry. The police teams are coordinating with their counterparts in Pondicherry to trace and detain Kamra. I have demanded that Kamra should be arrested immediately and brought to Mumbai.”
- 24 March 2025 12:03 PM
'Satire, poetry welcome, but...': CM Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while addressing Kunal Kamra's comments said, “Poetry and satire is welcome. But those who spread lies and defame for personal gains will invite action.” Mumbai police have filed an FIR against Kamra for allegedly insulting Deputy CM Eknath Shinde during his performance, sparking political backlash.
- 24 March 2025 11:43 AM
Kunal Kamra told Mumbai police he does not regret his remarks: Report
Comedian Kunal Kamra has informed Mumbai Police that he has no regrets about his controversial comment targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, sources told NDTV on Monday afternoon. According to police sources, Kamra spoke to the authorities from Tamil Nadu and denied allegations that he was paid by the opposition to target Shinde. He also reportedly offered to let the police examine his financial records to confirm that no such transaction had taken place. The comedian's firm stance comes amid ongoing backlash and legal action over his satirical jibe. He said he would apologise only if told to do so by courts.
- 24 March 2025 11:28 AM
Aditya Thackeray defends comedian, asks 'why should he apologise?
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aditya Thackeray defended stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra amid the massive row in Maharashtra over his remarks, stating that Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde should first clarify whether he is a "traitor" or the "thief" before demanding an apology.
"Why should Kunal Kamra apologise? If this traitor and thief is Eknath Shinde, then Kunal Kamra must apologize. But Eknath Shinde should first answer whether he is a traitor or a thief," Thackeray said.
- 24 March 2025 11:19 AM
BJP-led Mahayuti govt wants to turn Maharashtra into Taliban-like state: Congress
The BJP-led Mahayuti government wants to turn Maharashtra into a "Taliban-like" state, senior Congress leader Harshvardhan Sapkal said on Monday.
The Maharashtra Congress chief condemned the attack on a studio and hotel in Khar here by Shiv Sena workers late Sunday night in protest against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra lampooning Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
"The attackers belong to a ruling party. Do they not trust their own government, the Constitution, the law and home department? Why did they take law into their own hands? Why did they resort to this attack when Kamra did not name Shinde," Sapkal asked.
He said the state government had used a bulldozer to the demolish the house of an accused in the March 17 Nagpur violence, but they are yet to use it against BJP minister Nitesh Rane for "provocative and inflammatory statements".
"Does the ruling alliance plan to turn Maharashtra into a Taliban-like state," he asked.
The studio in which Kamra's show took place did not belong to him and has hosted various cultural programmes where people of all ideologies have taken part, Sapkal said, adding even BJP minister Ashish Shelar was felicitated at an event there.
"The studio belongs to a freedom fighter who remained unmarried until India gained Independence and only married afterwards. This studio is made available without profit motives, and many artists have performed on its stage. The attack by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's workers on this cultural centre is also an attack on the property of a freedom fighter," the Congress leader said.
"This is not just about freedom of expression but also about how people must live in a democracy. The attack led to damage worth Rs 25 lakh. The state government should compensate. The police merely acted as spectators, which is highly concerning," Sapkal said.
Latching on to Fadnavis' March 22 statement on the Nagpur violence that "bulldozer will roll when necessary", the Maharashtra Congress president asked if the same action would be taken against Shinde's workers.
"The government used a bulldozer on the house of Fahim Khan, an accused in the Nagpur riots. Since Minister Nitesh Rane from Fadnavis' cabinet has made provocative and inflammatory statements, will Fadnavis order a bulldozer on Nitesh Rane's house as well," he further asked. PTI
- 24 March 2025 10:21 AM
'Won't leave Kamra until he apologises': Nirupam
Nirupam says, "Kunal Kamra is a person from Rahul Gandhi and Congress ecosystem, he is a man of leftist ideology and a close friend of Sanjay Raut. He walked with Rahul Gandhi in padyatra, and his picture came out with Sanjay Raut, he also met Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule. And now, in the name of stand-up comedy, he has made a very low-level comment on our supreme leader, Eknath Shinde. The place where this show was recorded and the booking money for it came from Matoshree, from Uddhav Thackeray, and that is why Eknath Shinde Sahab has been targeted. Until Kunal Kamra apologizes for his statement, we will not leave him. Our people are searching for him, but we have come to know that he is not in Mumbai and has probably fled from here. We will not leave him until he apologizes..."
- 24 March 2025 10:19 AM
'Freedom of expression should not be misused': Sanjay Nirupam
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam says, "At present, an FIR has been lodged against him in MIDC police station, but if he does not apologize, the law will do its work in its way, and we will do our work in our way. Freedom of expression exists in this country, but it should not be misused. Kunal Kamra has misused it. He has used abusive words. This is not satire and humour; this is not comedy, it is shallowness. Shiv Sena has made sure that such shallow people will be taught a lesson..."
