Amid the ongoing controversy over remarks by stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for switching sides, Actor and Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Jaya Bachchan and other Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs have come ahead to defend Kamra. The veteran actor has condemned the vandalism at the Mumbai venue where Kamra’s show was hosted by emphasising the importance of freedom of expression.
While speaking at the Parliament premises, Jaya Bachchan reacted to the entire incident questioning the limits placed on freedom of expression in the country. “If there is a restriction on speaking, what will become of you? You are anyway in a bad situation. There are restrictions on you. You would be told to speak just on this and nothing else, that do not interview Jaya Bachchan,” ANI quoted Bachchan saying.
“Where is freedom of speech? There is freedom of action only when there is a ruckus – beat up the opposition, rape women, murder them. What else? You (Eknath Shinde) left your real party and formed another party for power. Isn’t that an insult of Balasaheb?” she added.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs Defend Kunal Kamra
Additionally, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant also defended Kamra, stating that every remark made by the comedian in his comedy special, Naya Bharat, was genuine.
“As far as what Kunal Kamra did, I think every word, every sentence said by him is correct. That is what everyone in Opposition is alleging against him. He said that in the form of a poem. If we say there is democracy in this country and we believe in that, then we must accept all of this,” Arvind Sawant said.
Drawing comparisons to the past, Sawant, referenced Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy as a cartoonist, who frequently used to make caricatures of prominent political leaders. “Criticism is criticism. Sometimes, someone does mimicry. Balasaheb Thackeray was a renowned cartoonist; he made caricatures of Sharad Pawar, Sonia Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, and Nehru. Had it been the present time, they would have filed cases against him every day,” Sawant said.
He demanded action against those responsible for vandalising the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, Mumbai, where the show of Kamra was filmed. “FIR should be registered against those who vandalised… Can’t they accept criticism?”
Similarly, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also lashed out over vandalism, citing it as an an example of growing intolerance in the country.
“They ignited a fire like this in Nagpur. They are now doing this in Mumbai. What kind of intolerance is this? If you don’t like something, file a Police complaint but if there is such behavior, I think people of Mumbai are watching; Maharashtra is watching how law and order is being taken into hand, and they have stooped to hooliganism,” Chaturvedi told ANI.
Kunal Kamra, known for his satirical content, has found himself at the center of a controversy over a video from one of his performances. In the clip, he mocks Eknath Shinde’s alliance with the BJP, referring to him as a ‘traitor.’ The video quickly gained traction on social media, leading to intense backlash, according to NDTV.
Leaders from the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) reacted with outrage, vandalising a studio and Hotel Unicontinental in Mumbai’s Khar area on Sunday, alleging that the video was filmed there.
Kamra himself had shared the clip, which featured him performing a spoof of a song from the Bollywood film Dil To Pagal Hai. The lyrics referenced “a leader from Thane” and made remarks about Shinde’s physical appearance and his relationship with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. However, Shinde was never explicitly named in the video.
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