Mumbai: Shiv Sena legislator Mangesh Kudalkar on Monday filed a complaint in the Kurla Nehrunagar police station against stand up comedian Kunal Kamra after he referred the Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as traitor. Kudalkar has urged the police to register an offence against Kamra who is in Puducherry and told the police that he will fully cooperate them in investigation but won’t apologise.
Earlier, the MIDC police station registered a Zero FIR against Kamra for cracking an allegedly objectionable joke on during a standup comedy show. The Khar police booked Yuva Sena general secretary Rahool Kanal under various sections of the BNS and the Maharashtra Police Act. They also detained 20 Sena activists.
Dixit Gedam, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 9, Dixit Gedam said that two offences have been registered at Khar police station. One is against Kamra over derogatory comments while the other is against people who vandalised the Unicontinental hotel where the shoot of Kamra’s comedy show took place. He further added that the investigation is underway.
Shiv Sena has demanded an unconditional apology from Kamra while the opposition has slammed the state government for being so fast in registering offence against Kamra while “soaring” those who insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Shiv Sena has claimed that Kamra is a serial offender misusing freedom of speech and condemned the “distasteful and defamatory” remarks made by Kamra during his recent performance at the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai.
His deliberate attempt to mock Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and twist the state’s political reality into a tool for his propaganda is nothing short of an orchestrated attack against the leadership. He has once again misused the fundamental right to free speech, using comedy as a cover to malign individuals and spread politically motivated misinformation.
The Shiv Sena in a release announced that it will not tolerate any attempts to insult or malign the leadership that is working tirelessly for the people of Maharashtra.
“We demand that Kunal Kamra issue an unconditional apology for his remarks against Eknath Shinde and cease using comedy as a weapon to spread hatred and misinformation,” said Shiv Sena in a release. Kamra has a well-documented history of controversial and offensive behaviour, proving that this is not an isolated incident. He has repeatedly disrespected institutions, individuals, and religious sentiments under the pretext of satire.
(IANS)
