“Think Even BJP Doesn’t Like Eknath Shinde”: Kunal Kamra To NDTV Amid Row

Doubling down on his remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde – which have triggered a massive row – comedian Kunal Kamra has said the Shiv Sena chief is not liked even by members of the BJP, which is his ally in Maharashtra as well as the Centre. 

Speaking to NDTV on Tuesday, Mr Kamra said he has received at least 500 calls in which people have threatened to kill him and cut him to pieces (“kaat denge tumhe“). “All the calls are only from Shiv Sena workers. I have not received even a single call from BJP workers. I think even the BJP does not like Mr Shinde,” the comedian said. 

In a show shot at the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai’s Khar, Mr Kamra had made some comments on the Shiv Sena chief – without naming him – through a satirical version of the song ‘Bholi si surat’ from the 1997 blockbuster ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’. The satirical song also had a mention of  ‘gaddar’ (traitor) which was seen as a reference to Mr Shinde splitting the Shiv Sena in 2022 and joining hands with the BJP, leading to the Uddhav Thackeray-led government losing power in Maharashtra. 

Mr Shinde, who was given the post of chief minister at the time with the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis and the NCP’s Ajit Pawar as his deputies, was reportedly very upset when he was denied the top job after the Maharashtra Assembly elections last year. There was also speculation over him refusing to join the government led by Mr Fadnavis but had finally taken oath as a deputy chief minister alongside Mr Pawar. Ties between the Shiv Sena and the BJP have reportedly been strained since. 

Mr Fadnavis has, however, spoken out strongly in support of Mr Shinde after the controversy broke out. The chief minister said Mr Kamra should apologise for insulting the Shiv Sena chief. 

“Such low-level comedy and disrespecting the deputy chief minister is not right… He (Mr Kamra) should know that people in Maharashtra showed who is a ‘gaddar’ (traitor) and who is not in the 2024 elections. People have decided who has the legacy of Bal Thackeray… You cannot legitimise your fault by showing a copy of the Constitution. The Constitution gives us freedom but it is not absolute, you cannot encroach on others’ freedom. There are limitations to it,” Mr Fadnavis said. 

‘Asked For A Week’

After Mr Kamra’s show was posted on YouTube, Shiv Sena workers had vandalised the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar. The police had arrested 12 people affiliated with the Sena, who were later granted bail. 

Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel had also filed a case against Mr Kamra for his remarks against Mr Shinde. The case is being investigated by the Khar police, which had asked the comedian to appear before the investigating officer on Tuesday. 

Mr Kamra told NDTV that he had spoken to an officer of the Khar police station and asked for a week’s time to appear. The officer, he said, asked him to do so as soon as possible. 

Fresh Post

Mr Kamra, who has said he will cooperate with the police but does not regret his remarks, also posted a video on Tuesday with shots of Shiv Sena workers vandalising the Habitat Comedy Club overlaid with another satirical song from his comedy special.

In a satirical take on “hum honge kamyaab” (we shall overcome), the comedian had changed the words to “hum honge kangaal” (we shall be bankrupt) during his comedy special. It was this song that Mr Kamra used for his new post, which showed Sena workers causing destruction at the comedy club, throwing chairs and leaving documents and photos lying on the stairs. 

The video also shows Sena workers burning Mr Kamra’s photo, getting ready to set fire to his effigy, and flashing the victory sign after being granted bail by a magistrate’s court. 

Mr Kamra’s post also features a clip of Shiv Sena Yuva Sena General Secretary Rahool Kanal, one of the 12 people affiliated to the Sena who were arrested for ransacking the studio. Using a popular movie dialogue, Mr Kanal had told news agency ANI that this (an apparent reference to the vandalism) was only a trailer and the picture was yet to come. 

“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,” the Sena leader had said.