Amidst the controversy surrounding his 'traitor' remarks on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra took to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, March 27, to criticise the mainstream media who have been hounding him for "quotes".
He wrote, "The mainstream media at this point is nothing but a miscommunication arm of the ruling party. They are vultures who report on issues that don't matter to the people of this country. If they all shut shop from tomorrow till eternity they will be doing favour to the country, its people and their own children."
Have a look at his tweet here:
The controversy erupted after Kamra performed the parody of a Hindi song during his stand-up act at The Habitat in Khar and referred to Shinde as a gaddar (traitor).
The 36-year-old comic's comments sparked a political storm. Soon after a video of Kamra's act went viral on social media, Shiv Sena workers vandalised The Habitat studio, which announced its temporary closure shortly after the incident took place.
Have a look at their official statement here:
FIRs Filed Against Kunal Kamra
So far, three FIRs have been registered against Kamra in the matter. The first one, based on a complaint filed by Shiv Sena (Shinde) MLA Murji Patel, includes charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 353(1)(b) (publishing or circulating false statements or rumours), 352 (provoking breach of peace), and 356(2).
Additionally, a zero FIR was filed by the Manmad police; however, the case was later transferred to Khar Police. Another zero FIR was launcehd against the comedian at the MIDC Police station.
Kunal Kamra's Statement
In response to the widespread backlash against him, Kamra released an official statement on social media. Asserting that he will not apologise, he said that it's "not against the law to poke fun at leaders and the circus that is the political system."
"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 & I will not be hiding under my bed, waiting for this to die down," he wrote.
Have a look at his entire statement here:
Later, another FIR was registered against Shiv Sena (Shinde) youth leaders Rahool N Kanal, Kunal Sarmalkar, and around 40 other party workers for vandalising The Habitat studio, where the video was recorded.
