Shiv Sena workers vandalise venue after comedian Kunal Kamra jokes about Eknath Shinde

Workers of the Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena on Sunday vandalised an event space in Mumbai’s Khar where comedian Kunal Kamra had made jokes apparently about the deputy chief minister, PTI reported.

In the videos of the joke posted on YouTube on Sunday, Kamra alluded to Shinde as a “traitor” while performing a modified version of a Hindi film song. Kamra was referring to Shinde’s rebellion against Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray in 2022 and the general political situation in Maharashtra.

The video was widely shared on social media. Kamra did not directly mention Shinde during the performance.

A first information report was filed against Kamra in the matter based on a complaint by Shinde Sena MLA Murji Patel, ANI reported. The party leader said that he has demanded “quick action” against the comedian.

“I want to tell him to apologise to Eknath Shinde within two days otherwise Shiv Sainiks will not let him move about freely in Mumbai,” Patel told ANI. “If he is seen anywhere in public, we will paint his face black… We will take up this issue in the Assembly and request our state’s home minister to order action against him as soon as possible…”

An FIR was also filed against Shinde Sena’s youth wing general secretary and 19 others for the vandalism, ANI reported.

Operators of The Habitat, the venue vandalised on Sunday, said that they were “extremely broken” by the attack. “Artists are solely responsible for their views and creative choices,” the event space said on Monday.

“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.

The venue said that it will be “shutting down till we figure out the best way to provide a platform for free expression without putting ourselves and our property in jeopardy”.

Shiv Sena leader Naresh Mhaske said that Kamra was a “hired comedian”. The Thane MP warned that Kamra would not be able to travel freely in the country, ANI reported.

“He [Kamra] is making comments on our leader [Shinde] for some money,” Mhaske alleged. “Let alone Maharashtra, Kunal Kamra cannot freely go anywhere in India, Shiv Sainiks will show him his place.”

Mhaske alleged that the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena had hired Kamra because it did not have enough party workers to criticise Shinde.

“We follow the ideology of [Shiv Sena founder] Balasaheb Thackeray, and we will make sure Kunal Kamra is not free to move around – neither in Maharashtra nor in the country,” he added. “Kunal Kamra will get a befitting reply, and he will come and apologise for his mistake.”

On the other hand, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray said that the attack on the venue was cowardly.

“Mindhe’s coward gang breaks the comedy show stage where comedian @kunalkamra88 put out a song on Eknath mindhe, which was 100% true,” Aaditya Thackeray said on social media. “Only an insecure coward would react to a song by someone.”

“Mindhe” is a word often used by Aaditya Thackeray to refer to Shinde.

The Worli MLA added: “By the way, law and order in the state? Another attempt to undermine the CM and Home Minister by Eknath Mindhe”.

After the 2019 Assembly election results, the undivided Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray refused to support the Bharatiya Janata Party, claiming that the two parties had agreed on the chief minister’s post being divided between them for two-and-a-half years each.

Thackeray had joined hands with the undivided Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress to become the chief minister. This alliance is called the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

In June 2022, Shinde led a rebellion against Thackeray and crossed over to the BJP-led coalition. Shinde became the chief minister and remained in the position until he was replaced by BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis after the coalition won the Assembly polls in November 2024.

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