FIR against comedian Kunal Kamra for mocking Eknath Shinde

The Mumbai police on Monday filed an FIR against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra for allegedly making defamatory comments about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a show at Habitat Comedy Club, reported PTI.

Kamra also allegedly taunted Shinde using a modified version of a Hindi song from the film “Dil To Pagal Hai”, eliciting laughter from the audience.

Agitated Shiv Sena members damaged the club in Khar, where Kamra’s show with "gaddar" (traitor) jibe at Shinde was filmed, and a hotel on whose premises the club is located. The Habitat, where Kamra's show was held, is the same venue where the controversial 'India's Got Latent' show had been filmed.

After the video went viral, Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel lodged a police complaint. An official from MIDC police station told PTI that a First Information Report (FIR) was registered in the early hours of Monday against Kamra under sections 353(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356(2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

In the nearly two-minute video, Kamra also mocked the ruling NCP and Shiv Sena. Rival Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut posted the video of Kamra's jibe at Shinde on X, saying, “Kunal Ka Kamal.” 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) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, however, slammed the vandalism at the show venue, calling it a "cowardly" act. “Mindhe’s coward gang breaks the comedy show stage where comedian @kunalkamra88 put out a song on Eknath's mind, which was 100 per cent true. Only an insecure coward would react to a song by someone,” Thackeray said.

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