Kunal Kamra has avoided coming to Mumbai after controversy over parody song targeting Eknath Shinde at Habitat Comedy Club
Mumbai: A Mumbai police team on Monday evening visited stand comedian Kunal Kamra’s Mumbai residence after he defied the third summons sent to him. Taking a swipe at the police, Mr. Kamra said he had not lived at that address for the past decade.
“Going to an address where I haven’t lived for the last 10 years is a waste of your time and public resources,” Mr Kamra posted on his X handle. As per his Instagram bio, Kamra is currently in Puducherry.
The comedian has avoided coming to Mumbai after the controversy broke out over his recent show at the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai, where he performed a parody song targeting Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde calling him ‘gaddar’, the term often used by Uddhav Thackeray. Subsequently, Mr. Shinde’s supporters vandalised the club and the hotel in which it is located.
The police had sent Mr. Kamra the third summons on March 27 asking him to attend the Khar police station for questioning on March 31. The police had previously sent two summons to Mr. Kamra after registering a First Information Report (FIR) on March 24 based on a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel in connection with his controversial jokes at Mumbai’s Habitat Centre. Subsequently, three more FIRs have been filed against the comedian in different parts of the state.
“A police team visited Mr. Kamra’s Mahim home, where his family resides, to verify if he would present himself. Since he did not, the next course of action will be decided soon,” a police official said.
The Madras High Court in Friday had granted interim anticipatory bail to Mr. Kamra until April 7 in connection with multiple FIRs lodged against him.
Earlier in the day, Rahool Kanal, General Secretary of the Shiv Sena Yuva Sena (Shinde faction), on Monday said that whenever Kunal Kamra returns to Mumbai, he will be welcomed in true “Shiv Sena style”. “Mr. Kamra must face the law, no matter what protection he has in Tamil Nadu. Whenever he returns to Mumbai, he will be welcomed in true Shiv Sena style. It’s not a threat, but Mumbai has a culture of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’,” he said.
The Opposition parties slammed the government for threats issued to the stand up comedian. “Ministers in the state cabinet are threatening Kunal Kamra openly, demanding that he be ‘shot and hanged immediately.’ This lawlessness continues under the watch of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who has remained silent on this matter,” Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said.
Mr. Raut also demanded that the Centre should provide security to Mr Kamra like it was provided to Kangana Ranaut after she had criticised Uddhav Thackeray.
