Kunal Kamra's latest standup act featured a parody song that referred to Eknath Shinde leaving the Shiv Sena in 2022, using the term "gaddar". (Credit: Instagram/ @kunal_kamra| File Image)BJP leader Pravin Darekar on Wednesday filed a breach of privilege notice against comedian Kunal Kamra and Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sushma Andhare for allegedly insulting Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. Kamra’s performance included personal remarks, while Andhare supported it and used objectionable language. Additionally, Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Bornare submitted a similar notice against Andhare for mocking CM Devendra Fadnavis. Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar will decide on the notices.
What Kunal Kamra said? After the Mumbai Police booked him for defamation on Monday, comedian Kunal Kamra refused to apologise for his remarks. In a statement on social media, Kamra said he would not bow down to the mob targeting him. He also hit out at the Mumbai civic body officials who demolished structures at the studio on Monday where he shot his performance. “Your inability to take a joke at the expense of a powerful public figure does not change the nature of my right. As far as I know, it is not against the law to poke fun at our leaders and the circus that is our political system,” he wrote.
How did the controversy erupt? In the stand-up comedy show, Kamra’s performance featured a parody song, set to the tune of Dil To Pagal Hai, with a reference to Shinde’s 2022 defection from the undivided Shiv Sena. His use of the term “gaddar” (traitor) triggered sharp criticism from Shiv Sena leaders with MP Naresh Mhaske saying: “You will be forced to flee India.” Kamra, who has been booked at Khar police station, is currently located in Pondicherry, according to Minister Pratap Sarnaik.
BJP leader Pravin Darekar on Wednesday filed a breach of privilege notice against comedian Kunal Kamra and Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sushma Andhare for allegedly insulting Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. Kamra's performance included personal remarks, while Andhare supported it and used objectionable language. Additionally, Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Bornare submitted a similar notice against Andhare for mocking CM Devendra Fadnavis. Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar will decide on the notices.
The Maharashtra government has decided against a budget proposal to impose a 6 per cent tax on electric vehicles (EVs) priced above Rs 30 lakh. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced this decision in the Legislative Council Wednesday. The government, in Budget 2025-26, planned to levy a tax on EVs priced above Rs 30 lakh, categorising them as luxury vehicles.
However, after reconsideration, it was determined that there is currently little demand for EVs in this price range. Fadnavis said, “We thought it would not make sense to impose a tax that could discourage the adoption of electric vehicles.
Therefore, we have decided not to levy this tax. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will officially make this announcement.” Read
Citing Prime Minister Modi's comment that "criticism is the soul of democracy", the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday questioned the "extreme response" provoked by comedian Kunal Kamra's jokes targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
An editorial in the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana' said Kamra's parody song had merely pointed to the rebellion led by Shinde against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership in 2022 and that it was an "old wine in a new bottle", yet the deputy CM's supporters vandalised a studio in Mumbai on Sunday.
The editorial in Saamana said 40 MLAs in Maharashtra had defected, leading to the formation of an "extra-constitutional" government. The episode was widely publicised, culminating in a legal battle in the Supreme Court, it pointed out.
"Slogans about 'khoke' (use of money power) echoed across the state. Kunal Kamra merely rehashed this in a parody song, so what was new? It was 'old wine in a new bottle'," the Marathi publication said. (PTI)
The Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) in Maharashtra's Thane district has approved a budget of Rs 988.72 crore for the 2025-26 financial year, with a focus on smart infrastructure, environmental sustainability and gender parity.
UMC Commissioner Manisha Ahwale, who is also its administrator, as the five-year term of the corporators has already ended, approved the budget on Tuesday.
The civic body has projected an income of Rs 286.53 crore from the GST grant, Rs 120.41 crore from property tax, and Rs 72.25 crore from water tax collections.
Key allocations include Rs 50 crore for education expenses and Rs 225.34 crore for wages and other allowances. (PTI)
Speaking on the Kunal Kamra comedy show controversy, Maharashtra Minister Yogesh Kadam, "Insulting senior leaders of the state in the name of comedy... this comedy will not be allowed in the state. If he is making fun of the government then he should understand that he is not above the law."
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday demanded that those who vandalised the Mumbai studio where comedian Kunal Kamra recorded his controversial show must be asked to pay for the loss caused by their violent action.
During his show at the Habitat Comedy Club, Kamra cracked jokes and made sarcastic comments targeting Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over his political career and the 2022 rebellion against then-CM Uddhav Thackeray.
Enraged over the comments, members of the Shiv Sena headed by Shinde, on Sunday night, ransacked the club in the Khar area as well as the hotel in whose premises the venue is located.
"In Nagpur, whoever resorted to vandalism (during March 17 violence) was asked to pay for the damage. Similarly, will the government ask those who resorted to vandalism (at Mumbai studio) to pay for the damage or else the message in the country will go that such acts are justified," Thackeray told reporters. PTI
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta and actor-politician Kangana Ranaut locked horns online on Tuesday over the action against stand-up comic Kunal Kamra, whose jokes targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have sparked a controversy. The online spat comes amid the civic authorities’ crackdown on the Mumbai studio where Kamra performed. While BMC officials cite building regulation violations, critics draw comparisons with the demolition of Ranaut’s office during the Uddhav Thackeray government in 2020. Read More
Stand-up comic Kunal Kamra has been in the news ever since a clip from his latest comedy special, Naya Bharat, in which he refers to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a “gaddar (traitor)”, went viral. This comment not only invited sharp criticism from Shinde’s Shiv Sena but also led to the closure of The Habitat, a well-known comedy venue in Mumbai, where the comedian shot the video. Nonetheless, according to NDTV, the comedian has refused to apologise.
This, however, is not the first time the comedian has been unapologetic about his comments. Just last year, Kunal made remarks against Salman Khan during one of his shows and refused to apologise even after they sparked controversy. In his stand-up set, he referred to the court case in which Salman was accused of poaching two blackbucks in 1998. He also mentioned the 2002 hit-and-run case, in which the Bollywood star was accused of ramming his car into a pavement in Bandra, killing one person and injuring four others. He also took a dig at Salman’s reality show Bigg Boss, cursing him and claiming that he does not fear the star.
Stand-up comic Kunal Kamra Tuesday shared a satirical music video, part of his set that stirred a political row in Maharashtra, in response to the controversy surrounding his comments on the state’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The video, edited shots of Shiv Sena workers vandalising the Habitat in Mumbai – where Kamra shot and performed the set – shared on social media features a parody of the Hindi adaptation of We Shall Overcome (Hum Honge Kamyab). He replaced the lyrics with his own parody version, Hum Honge Kangal (We will be paupers). Read More
We’re barely through the first quarter of 2025 and two major controversies have already put Indian comedy on the radar. The more recent of the two is the violent reaction of Shiv Sena party members to a parody song by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra featured in his new special called Naya Bharat. The song seemingly alludes to their party supremo and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Party members turned up at the venue where Kamra’s show was recorded and vandalised the premises. The venue, called ‘The Habitat’, has been the epicentre of stand-up comedy in Mumbai for the past nine years and is no stranger to controversies.
It had found itself in hot soup barely a month ago, when an episode of the popular comedy talent show India’s Got Latent, which was shot there, ran into trouble for comments made by podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia. In fact the place was vandalised even in 2020 — back then, the offence-takers, who were aggrieved over a 2019 stand-up act by comedian Agrima Joshua, belonged to the MNS. Read More
A view of the terrace area between the two wings of Hotel Unicontinental, where BMC demolished the illegal structures yesterday, at Khar west in Mumbai on 25 March 2025.
(Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)
Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has commented on the ongoing controversy over comedian Kunal Kamra's remarks on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's political career. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Ranaut condemned Kamra's remarks, stating that disgracing someone under the guise of comedy is in bad taste.
"You may be anyone but disrespecting anyone (is not good). You are disgracing someone in the name of comedy, you are disregarding what all he has done. Shinde ji used to drive an auto rickshaw a while ago. Today he has made it till here on his own. What are his (Kamra's) credentials? Who are these people who haven't done anything in life? If they can write, I'd say write literature or comedy scenes in films. Abusing in the name of comedy, mocking our scriptures in the name of comedy, making fun of people, mothers and sisters (is not right)," Ranaut said. (PTI)
The Mumbai police said Tuesday they have summoned Kunal Kamra for questioning in a case registered against him in connection with his controversial statement against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
According to police sources, Kamra, who lives in Puducherry, has been asked to remain present before the Khar police by 11 am Tuesday.
Kamra was booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 353(1)(b), 353(2) (statements conducing to public mischief), and 356(2) (defamation). The MIDC Police Station lodged the First Information Report against Kamra as a Zero FIR based on a complaint lodged by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel. Later, they transferred the Zero FIR to Khar Police Station.
“Kunal Kamra, during a stand-up comedy show at Continental Hotel, Khar, defamed our leader Eknath Shinde ji by making derogatory statements about his moral conduct. He also created hatred between the two political parties by tarnishing the sentiments of our party and our rival political parties towards each other,” Patel said in the complaint.
The controversy escalated after over 35 Shiv Sena workers vandalized the Habitat Comedy Club and the hotel premises where Kamra’s show was filmed. Kamra condemned the attack as “senseless,” comparing it to an absurd act like overturning a lorry carrying tomatoes because of a dislike for the food served. “An entertainment venue is merely a platform. A space for all sorts of shows,” Kamra said, calling out those responsible for the vandalism. Meanwhile, Mumbai’s civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), visited the venue and demolished a temporary structure on the hotel’s premises, which Kamra criticized for being done without prior notice. The police later arrested Shiv Sena functionary Rahul Kanal and 11 others involved in the ransacking, though the court granted them bail later that day.
Comedian Kunal Kamra has refused to apologize for his controversial remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. In a defiant statement posted on social media, Kamra declared, “I will not apologise... I don’t fear this mob & I will not be hiding under my bed, waiting for this to die down.” Kamra mocked Shinde during his stand-up show by modifying the lyrics of a popular Hindi movie song, calling him a “gaddar” (traitor).
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde responded to comedian Kunal Kamra’s remarks and the violent actions of his party supporters condemning the misuse of freedom of expression, he accused Kamra of acting with an agenda. Shinde distanced himself from the vandalism carried out by his party cadre, emphasizing that while he does not support such actions, every accusation invites a reaction.
“Freedom of expression is important, but it should not be misused. Many writers engage in satire, but what happened today was an act of immorality, licentious behavior, and a hit job done for money. This same person has previously spoken against the Chief Justice, the Prime Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, and leading industrialists of this nation. He has clashed with journalists and has even been banned by airlines. This is not freedom of expression—it is speaking on behalf of someone with an agenda. I haven’t commented on this issue all day, and I won’t.” Eknath Shinde said while speaking to a Marathi news channel.
On the vandalism carried out by his supporters, he said “I do not support vandalism. However, when making accusations, one must at least consider the level to which they are stooping. Every action has a reaction. I have immense patience and never react to anyone. Focusing on work and delivering justice to the people—this is what has led us to remarkable success.”
Mumbai Youth Congress president Akhilesh Yadav says that the organisation will renovate and build the studio that was vandalised by Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena workers. "We stand with every young person in the country who wants to express his or her thoughts. The action against Kunal Kamra and the studio is unjustified and if Devendra Fadnavis cannot handle the Law and order situation in the state, the he should resign immediately. Youth Congress will help and build the Habitat Studio was vandalised by the goons," said Akhilesh Yadav, Mumbai youth Congress chief.
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