Comedian Kunal Kamra has been asked to appear before Mumbai police for questioning on March 31. This is regarding his recent stand-up gig in Mumbai where he hinted at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a “traitor” without taking names. The comedian, who is known for being vocal against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is currently facing a defamation case registered on a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel.
Kamra was initially summoned by the Khar police on Tuesday, but he had requested for a week’s time. Despite this, the Mumbai Police issued a second summons to the comedian on Wednesday where he has been asked to appear before the Investigating Officer (IO) of Khar Police Station.
Kamra, known for his satirical style of comedy, was performing at a stand-up show at the Unicontinental Hotel in Mumbai’s Khar area, where he mocked Shinde’s defection from the Shiv Sena and his alliance with the BJP by allegedly calling him a “traitor” in an indirect manner. The jokes, which included a parody of a song from the Bollywood movie “Dil To Pagal Hai”, were aimed at Shinde, even though Kamra did not mention him by name. His performance quickly gained attention on social media, following which it triggered a series of protests and even violence.
Fans show support to Kunal Kamra
Meanwhile the comedian is receiving support from his huge fan following on social media not only from India but from across the world. Fans are requesting Kamra to start a fundraiser, for covering legal expenses which he might face for the ongoing controversy.
Fans have also started sending money to Kamra to support him in fighting legal battles with total donations estimated to have crossed several lakhs. The comments section of his YouTube video shows that fans have contributed amounts ranging from Rs 400 to Rs 10,000. International fans have also started donating in US dollars, British pounds, Canadian dollars, and UAE Dirhams.
Kamra refuses to apologise
Refusing to apologise for his act, the comedian recently issued a statement on social media where he wrote, “I will not apologise. What I said is exactly what Mr. Ajit Pawar (1st Deputy CM) said about Mr. Eknath Shinde (2nd Deputy CM). I don’t fear this mob and I will not be hiding under my bed, waiting for this to die down.”
Taking a jibe at Indian media for reporting about the controversy, he further wrote, “To the media faithfully reporting this circus: Remember that press freedom in India ranks at 159.”
Highlighting the importance of freedom of speech in India, Kunal Kamra further mentioned in his statement, “Our right to freedom of speech and expression is not only to be used to fawn over the powerful and rich even though today’s media would have us believe otherwise. 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.”
Kunal Kamra slams T-Series after Youtube flags his video
The comedian took to social media on Wednesday to claim that T-series has issued a copyright infringement notice against the video. Sharing a screenshot on his X account, Kamra claimed that the video featuring his parody act has been flagged by YouTube for a copyright violation.
