Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday voiced his support for stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra amid the controversy surrounding his remarks on Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Raut asserted that Kamra would rather face any consequence than surrender to fear or threats.
“I don’t know who is threatening Kunal Kamra or why. I have known him for many years. He is not the kind of artist who gets scared of threats. He won’t surrender (Jhukega nahi). He would rather die than bow down or be afraid. Those issuing threats will soon find it difficult to continue their path,” Raut told the media.
Raut also responded to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s remarks on the controversy. CM Adityanath had stated that freedom of expression should not be misused to attack others and that legal action should be taken against those who create divisions in the country.
Responding to this, Raut said, “I agree with what Yogi Ji said—freedom of speech doesn’t mean people can say just anything. But what did Kamra say? He didn’t mention anyone’s name. He commented on a situation in Maharashtra using satire. I often listen to poets like Kumar Vishwas and Surendra Sharma, and they, too, use satire. Vandalizing property in response to Kamra’s words is not justified.”
Kunal Kamra stirred a political storm with his controversial ‘gaddar’ (traitor) joke, allegedly aimed at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Several political leaders condemned Kamra’s statements during his stand-up show and demanded action against him. Kamra, however, responded by sharing a video mocking Shiv Sena workers for vandalizing Mumbai’s The Habitat comedy club, where he had previously performed.
On Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar addressed the issue, stating, “Our CM Devendra Fadnavis has already responded on behalf of the government. The CM has said that action will be taken as per the law.”
CM Fadnavis took a firm stand on the remarks made by Kamra, stating in the state Assembly that freedom of expression should not lead to tyranny. “We appreciate humour and satire. We accept political satire, but we do not accept freedom of expression if it leads to tyranny,” he said. Fadnavis also criticized Kamra’s work, calling it “low-quality” comedy.
“This artist makes statements against the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice; he wants to gain fame by creating controversy. He targeted Eknath Shinde and staged a low-quality comedy,” Fadnavis said, adding that it is up to the people to judge Shinde’s character.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Police summoned Kamra to appear before the investigating officer on Tuesday. According to the police, Kamra is currently not in Mumbai. The MIDC police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Kamra for his remarks during the stand-up show, which has since been transferred to Khar police for further investigation.
