Comedian Kunal Kamra Mock State Leaders, Gets in Touble

Comedian Kunal Kamra, who is known for his sharp political humour, is now facing consequences for his satirical jokes. Apparently, it’s freedom of speech until it’s a matter of powerful figures and governmental authorities.

What Did Comedian Kunal Kamra Do?

Comedian Kunal Kamra recently performed a standup act at The Habitat comedy club in Mumbai. In the show, he took a satirical toll on numerous powerful figures which also included Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. In his jokes, Kunal criticised Shinde for switching sides and even called him a “traitor” through a Bollywood song. This was a reference to the politician’s dramatic defection in 2022 that sparked a major political upheaval in the state. The comedian didn’t know what he was getting into with a joke on such a serious matter.

Shinde’s “Switch Up”

The sensitivity of this “joke” was no joke. It referred to a major political crisis that struck Maharashtra in 2022.

Eknath Shinde was a senior Shiv Sena leader and minister in the MVA government. However, he revolted against the party leadership in June 2022.

He led a group of MLAs who were dissatisfied with Shiv Sena’s alliance with the Congress and NCP. As a result, the party got split up into “two” and the one led by Shinde joined hands with BJP to form a political coalition. This resulted in a lot of people developing distrust and set a precedent for political defections.

The Aftermath Of the “Joke”

Soon after the show ended, supporters from Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena party stormed “The Habitat.”. Many video footage showed dozens of men, or well, “goons” throwing chairs and causing massive destruction throughout the venue.

This resulted in police complaints getting filed into both the matter, the vandalism and Kamra’s remarks. The complaint against comedian Kunal Kamra is a defamation complaint for allegedly insulting a political leader.

Not only this, but Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (an ally of Shinde) has openly criticised the comedian’s remarks and called for accountability.

“Insult of leaders cannot be tolerated,” Fadnavis told reporters. “Everyone has the right to perform stand-up comedy, but freedom should not be unrestrained behaviour. Action will be taken under the law.”

Kunal Kamra has also been facing political threats post this matter. There was a leaked call recording between Kunal Kamra and a political worker of Shinde in which Kunal Kamra was getting threatened. Even Shiv Sena MLA Naresh Mhaske posted a video warning Kamra: “You will be forced to flee India.”

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The Habitat Club Response 

The Habitat also issued a statement the next day in which they announced that they will be shutting down indefinitely while it assessed how to “provide a platform for free expression” without compromising safety.

Opposing Party Supporting Kunal’s Comments

Kunal’s severe take on the political figure earned some praises too. The joke immediately got viral with many Indians supporting it and Kunal’s ability to lace such a matter with humour. Even the opposing parties jumped the bandwagon as Sanjay Raut, a political leader, took it to X and praised the comedian’s straight forward stance.

He later on also criticised that Shinde’s people are harrassing a man for his mere political stance and how this makes Shinde a “weak chief minister.”

Kunal Kamra’s Response and His Political Stance

Kunal Kamra, as of now, has not responded directly to the complaint. However, he did post a photo of himself holding a copy of the Indian Constitution with the caption: “The only way forward.”

The comedian is no stranger to controversy. This isn’t his first time, which explains his calm demeanour despite such threats.

Kunal has been very open about his political stance and hence has also been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This makes it a common occurrence for Kunal to receive backlash from Hindu nationalist groups.

Freedom of Speech, a Question in India

This is not the first time comedians have faced political resentment due to their jokes and satirical takes. In 2021, fellow comedian Munawar Faruqui was jailed for over a month for allegedly insulting Hindu deities and later had multiple shows cancelled due to threats from right-wing activists.

All these events make one question the allowance of freedom of expression in India. A state that claims itself to be very open-minded and progressive yet targets people for their art. It seems like people can say whatever they want until it involves figures close to the ruling establishment. So much for liberation and free speech rights!