An FIR was registered against the standup comedian Kunal Kamra at the MIDC police station in Mumbai on Monday over his alleged remarks on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during his show at the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar. The referred Dy CM as 'Gaddar' (traitor), which has drawn the political ire of Shiv Sena.
The complaint was filed by the Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel for allegedly making defamatory remarks against deputy CM Shinde during a show. Patel wants Kamra to apologise for his remarks, or he will be arrested. FIR registered under sections 353(1)(b), 353(2), and 356(2) of the BNS.
This follows the incident on Sunday night when Shiv Sena workers vandalised the Habitat Club in Mumbai's Khar, where Kamra show had been held. A separate FIR has also been filed against the Shiv Sena workers who took part in the ransacking of the venue.
Also Read | Mumbai: FIR Registered Against Shiv Sena's Rahul Kanal and 19 Others for Vandalising Habitat Club in Khar.
Kamra’s latest stand-up, in which he has allegedly referred to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a ‘Gaddar’ (traitor), has drawn the ire ofthe Shiv Sena party. Based on the complaint, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered in the early hours of Monday against Mr. Kamra under various Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) actions, including 353(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356(2) (defamation), an official from MIDC police station said.
"We had complained, we had also called the owner (of Habitat set) and told him that there had been 6 FIR against this place in the past... Our message for Kunal Kamra is that we will teach him a lesson for what he did, but this is a paid conspiracy, and the Mumbai police is capable of exposing it," said Shiv Sena Yuva Sena (Shinde faction) General Secretary Rahool Kanal.
"It is not about taking any law in your hands. It is purely about your self-respect. When it comes to elders or respectable citizens of the country... when your elders are targeted, you will target someone of that mentality... The message (for Kunal Kamra) is clear, 'Abhi tak toh ye trailer hai, picture abhi baki hai.' Whenever you are in Mumbai, you will get a good lesson in Shiv Sena style," he added.