Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against Shiv Sena (Shinde Faction) Yuva Sena General Secretary Rahool Kanal and 19 others for allegedly vandalizing the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, Mumbai. The incident occurred during a live stand-up performance by comedian Rajat Sood, which was forcibly shut down by the group.
According to Sub-Inspector Vijay of Khar Police Station, the Shinde Sena youth faction stormed the venue, disrupted the show, and damaged the set. The FIR has been lodged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including Sections 132, 189(2), 189(3), 190, 191(2), 324(5), 324(6), 223, 351(2), 352, 333, along with Sections 37(1) and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act.
The incident follows backlash from Shinde Sena leaders against comedian Kunal Kamra over his stand-up special, ‘Naya Bharat’, where he allegedly mocked Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
- Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora defended Shinde, calling him a “self-made leader” who rose from driving an auto-rickshaw to leading Maharashtra. He criticized Kamra’s remarks as “classist arrogance.”
- Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske accused Kamra of being a “hired comedian” making comments for money.
- MLA Murji Patel lodged a separate complaint at MIDC Police Station, demanding strict action and an apology from Kamra within two days. He also threatened to escalate the issue in the state assembly and requested the Home Minister’s intervention.
“We have filed an FIR against Kunal Kamra for his comments against our leader and Maharashtra’s DCM Eknath Shinde. We have demanded quick action against him. I want to tell him to apologise to Eknath Shinde within two days, otherwise Shiv Sainiks will not let him move freely in Mumbai,” Patel told ANI.
This politically charged controversy has escalated tensions between Shinde Sena and free speech advocates, with legal action now unfolding against both the comedian and his critics.