'Urban Terrorism Attack': Citizens Condemn Vandalism Targeting Kunal Kamra, Demand Action Against Shinde Sena

Citizens, including writers, filmmakers, academicians, and social activists, condemned Sunday's vandalism at a suburban hotel and the prosecution of stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra for his jokes about former Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. In a joint statement, they called the vandalism an "urban terrorism attack."

The statement emphasized that the Constitution of India guarantees every citizen the right to freedom of speech and opinion, and no citizen has the right to take the law into their own hands and engage in vandalism. The signatories stated that the vandals lacked the intellectual ability to engage in dialogue and discussion with opposing views and opinions, as well as the ability to appreciate humor.

The statement was signed by:

Dr. G. G. Parikh, veteran freedom fighter

Tushar Gandhi, author and member of Hum Bharat Ke Log

Anand Patwardhan, Vaidehi Chitre, Samit Das, Radhika Das, and Chitra Palekar, filmmakers

Dr. Achyut Vaze and Gourab Ghosh, educators

Dr. Anagha Bhat Behere, Assistant Professor at Savitribai Phule University

Social activists Feroze Mithiborwala, Guddi S. L., and Faruk Mapkar of Hum Bharat Ke Log

Javed Anand of Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy

Jerry Pinto, writer

Mujtaba Lokhandwala, scientist

Teesta Setalvad of Citizens for Justice and Peace

Dr. Nikhil Rekha-Sanjay Adsule, IIT-Delhi

Dr. Sunilam, President of Kisan Sangarsh Samiti

Sandeep Pandey, Magsaysay Award winner

Dr. Vinayak Joshi, pathologist, among others.

The signatories also urged Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who previously stated that the administration would use bulldozers to "punish" rioters, to take similar action against the vandals involved in this incident.

Additionally, they called on citizens to press the Police Commissioner to take immediate action against members of the ruling alliance in Maharashtra who have taken the law into their own hands, terrorized citizens, and vandalized private property.

"We remind the police that they have taken an oath to serve the Constitution and protect citizens—not to obey and serve the government," the statement read.

The signatories further condemned what they described as "terror tactics" displayed by members of the Shinde Sena, who demonstrated their "bravery" by vandalizing the private hotel where Kunal Kamra had shot one of his shows. The show referenced the "betrayal" by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in his pursuit of power."