MUMBAI, Mar 24: The Mumbai police on Monday registered an FIR against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra for allegedly making defamatory remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a show, officials said.
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The police also registered a case against nearly 40 Shiv Sena workers for allegedly vandalising the Habitat Studio in Mumbai’s Khar area, where Kamra’s show with “gaddar” (traitor) jibe at Shinde was filmed, and a hotel where the studio is located, they said.
Kamra taunted Shinde using a modified version of a Hindi song from the film “Dil To Pagal Hai”, eliciting laughter from the audience.
While leaders of the ruling Mahayuti termed Kamra a “contract comedian” and warned he would be forced to flee the country, the opposition dubbed the FIR against him as “mockery of law” and said police should specify words which can’t be used to criticise the government.
Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel said the party workers will not allow Kamra to move on streets if he doesn’t apologise to Shinde in two days.
Several Shiv Sena workers on Sunday night gathered outside Hotel Unicontinental, where the Habitat Studio is located. They allegedly ransacked the studio and the hotel premises, the police said.
It is the same venue where the controversial ‘India’s Got Latent’ show had been filmed.
After a video went viral showing Kamra allegedly using defamatory words against Shinde, MLA Patel lodged a police complaint.
The MIDC police registered an FIR against Kamra under BNS sections 353(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356(2) (defamation), an official said.
In the nearly 2-minute video, Kamra also mocked the ruling NCP and Shiv Sena, the MIDC police official said, adding a probe was on.
Another FIR was registered by the Khar police against 19 Shiv Sena functionaries, including Rahul Kanal, Kunal Sarmalkar and Akshay Panvelkar, and 15 to 20 unidentified persons for allegedly vandalising the studio and ransacking the hotel properties, an official said.
Kanal and Sarmalkar were brought to Khar police station and notices were served to them, he said.
The police have also detained several Shiv Sena workers involved in vandalism, the official said.
Panvelkar, Kanal, Sarmarkar and other Shiv Sainiks entered the hotel and studio and damaged them, Khar police sub-inspector Vijay Saed, on whose complaint the FIR was lodged, alleged in his statement.
They shouted slogans like “Shiv Sena Zindabad”. When the police intervened, they allegedly pushed the on-duty personnel and also manhandled hotel staffers. They were later brought to the police station for further probe, Saed said.
State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, who visited the Khar police station, said the studio where the programme was shot was illegal.
“We will not tolerate mocking of our leader. Police and civic authorities should take action against them. I came to the police station to check on police action on our workers,” the Shiv Sena leader added.
Sena MP Naresh Mhaske warned Kamra that he would no longer be allowed to roam freely in Maharashtra and would be chased by the party workers throughout the country.
“You will be forced to flee India,” he said in a message.
Calling Kamra a “contract comedian”, Mhaske said he should not have stepped on the “tail of a snake”.
“Once the fangs are out, there will be dire consequences,” he said.
The MP also alleged the comedian had accepted money from Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and was targeting Shinde.
He accused political opponents of hiring stand-up comedians like Kamra for publicity.
The Shiv Sena will not tolerate such insults and the party workers would ensure a strong response to Kamra’s remarks, he added.
Sena MLA Patel said he would show “Kamra his level” and asked him to apologise.
“Our Shiv Sainiks will blacken his face wherever he is found,” he said.
BJP MLA Ram Kadam said Kamra seems to be targeting Shinde on someone’s instructions.
“As he has crossed the limits, we will blacken his face wherever we spot him,” Kadam said.
On the other side, AAP Mumbai president Preeti Sharma Menon supported Kamra.
“We support @kunalkamra88 unequivocally. Shame @Dev_Fadnavis – Eknath shinde has just shown that you have zero powers as home minister. You couldn’t keep peace in Nagpur and now you have brought vandalism to Mumbai!” she said.
State Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant said in the case where a simple non-cognizable offence can’t stand, an FIR is registered and this is “mockery of law”.
The aim is to scare political opponents, he claimed.
The ruling alliance leaders are openly issuing threats and making provocative statements, but the government doesn’t move, he charged.
The police should publish a list of words which cannot be used when criticising the government, and it should also declare what is okay for the ruling alliance leaders, Sawant said.
State Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe said, “Why is there so much intolerance? We do not support such vandalism. If sentiments are getting easily hurt, then they could have filed a complaint against him at the police station.”
“Kamra is a stand-up comedian and he made some commentary about the current political scenario in the state. If you are against it, then ban the entire stand-up comedy form. Why afraid of mere commentary? It is against freedom of speech,” he said. (Agencies)
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