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Trending Today Men Accused of Vandalizing the spot Where Artist Kunal Kamra Played Are Released on Bail by Mumbai Court Kunal Kamra’s Joke On Eknath Shinde Sparks Political Storm In Maharashtra: N Hariharan, a senior advocate, was elected president of the Delhi High Court Bar Association. PMLA | Supreme Court: The person who is accused in the complaint does not have to be named in order to keep the property that has been seized. Assam Government Notifies Supreme Court of Deportation of 13 Bangladeshi Nationals; Verification Continues for Others Supreme Court Petition Challenges SEBI Inquiry on Adani, Demands SIT Formation Punjab & Haryana High Court Issues Notice on Habeas Corpus Plea for Arrested Farmer Leader Jagjit Singh Dhallewal Section 53A Transfer Of Property Act Protection Not Available If Person Entered Into Agreement Knowing About Pending Litigation: Supreme Court The Supreme Court declines to step in to stop the implementation of the Haj Policy 2025. On May 8, the Supreme Court will consider arguments about the deportation and living conditions of Rohingya refugees. Kunal Kamra’s Joke On Eknath Shinde Sparks Political Storm In Maharashtra: NITU KUMARI 26 Mar 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTIONWRIT PETITION (L) NO. 9792 OF 2023 Kunal Kamra …PetitionerVersusUnion of India …Respondents Date Of Judgment: January 31, 2024Presiding judges:Justice Gautam PatelJustice A.S. ChandurkarJustice Dr. Neela Gokhale Introduction Who is Kunal Kamra? Kunal Kamra is an Indian stand-up comedian and political satirist. In his shows, he quips about the peculiarities of life, popular culture, the economy, politics, and big business.Born and reared in Mumbai, Kamra is often embroiled in controversy due to his polarizing remarks about BJP politicians, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2017, he started a show called Shut Up Ya Kunal, in which he had informal discussions with politicians and activists from both sides. He’s previously made headlines for a mid-air confrontation with news anchor Arnab Goswami in 2020. Who is Eknath Shinde? Eknath Sambhaji Shinde, an Indian politician who was born on February 9, 1964, has been serving under Devendra Fadnavis as Maharashtra‘s Deputy Chief Minister since December 2024 alongside Ajit Pawar. He has been the head of the Shiv Sena since February 2023 and was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from June 2022 to December 2024. He was an MLA for the Thane seat from 2004 to 2009 and has been a member of the Legislative Assembly since 2009 for the Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency. Factual Background When Kunal Kamra performed at the Habitat Studio at the Unicontinental Hotel in the Khar neighborhood of Mumbai, he called Shiv Sena leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde a “traitor” and proceeded to sing a parody about him. Kamra described Shinde’s 2022 mutiny against his then-boss Uddhav Thackeray using a modified version of a Hindi song from the film Dil To Pagal Hai. According to PTI, which cited the police, a number of Shiv Sena employees allegedly vandalized the studio and the hotel on Sunday night. Due to Kamra’s alleged defamatory remarks against Shinde, the Mumbai Police filed a formal complaint against him on Monday. According to the PTI report, Shiv Sena official Rahul Kanal and 11 other people were also taken into custody by the police for looting the hotel. According to ANI, the Mahayuti ruling alliance has claimed that the Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray, bribed Kamra. Kamra’s comments have been supported by the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which has criticized the state administration for the collapse of law and order and brought up the subject of freedom of speech. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolition team took hammers to the Habitat Studio on Monday. The H West ward staff was instructed to perform an inspection by BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani following a conversation with State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik. Maharashtra’s State Home Minister, Yogesh Kadam, said Monday that the legislation will be strictly implemented and that Kamra’s whereabouts were being investigated. What is the Kunal Kamra–Eknath Shinde Controversy all about? During a recent stand-up show, comedian Kunal Kamra is once again at the center of a political storm after his recent performance in Mumbai. During his latest show ‘Naya Bharat’ at the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, he humorously parodied a popular Shah Rukh Khan Hindi song by calling Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde a “gaddar” (traitor). The comment made reference to Shinde’s 2022 political rebellion, which led to the dissolution of the Shiv Sena party. In a spoof of a song from Dil To Pagal Hai, Kamra sang:“Meri nazar se tum dekho to gaddar nazar wo aaye, haaye.” After being posted on social media, the video swiftly gained popularity and attracted the attention of political supporters. A case was filed against comedian Kunal Kamra after a video of him surfaced showing him taking a jibe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for switching sides. What was the reaction of Eknath Shinde? The joke was taken seriously by the Shiv Sena section led by Eknath Shinde. In a police complaint, Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel called for Kunal Kamra‘s arrest and an apology from the public. He threatened to hold rallies and deny Kamra the freedom to “move freely” in Mumbai unless he apologized within two days. The Habitat Studio in Mumbai, where Kamra had performed, was vandalized by Shiv Sena supporters in outrage. As a result, more than 40 Sena members were arrested by the Mumbai Police for unlawful assembly and property damage. Kunal Kamra’s Response “Not Against the Law… I Don’t Fear”: Kunal Kamra’s Initial Response to the Eknath Shinde Joke Scandal. In a forceful initial statement regarding the uproar he sparked, stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra said he does not “fear this mob” that damaged his show’s venue and refused to apologize for his traitorous “joke” about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday. Kamra defended his act, arguing that comedy and satire are essential tools in democracy. In response to the controversy, he posted an image of