Mumbai, March 24 Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, Uddhav Thackeray, on Monday claimed that stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra expressed the true feelings of the people who feel betrayed by those who are stealing. His son Aaditya stated that as the comedian did not take anyone’s name the Shiv Sena activists had no reason to get angry.
“I don’t think Kunal Kamra has said anything wrong. These are the sentiments of the people. I am with Kunal Kamra,” Uddhav Thackeray said after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced in the Maharashtra Assembly that strict action would be taken against Kamra and that the 2024 Assembly elections had decided who was the ‘traitor’.
Uddhav Thackeray gave his reaction after Kamra’s satirical video allegedly targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, ignited controversy.
The video, which aired following Kamra's performance at the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, saw the comedian using a modified version of a popular Bollywood song from 'Dil To Pagal Hai.' “Meri nazar se tum dekho toh, gaddar nazar wo aaye. Haaye," Kunal Kamra said during his show which was understood to be a jibe at Shinde. That triggered a Shiv Sena protest and activists vandalised the city hotel where the shoot of the comedian’s show took place.
Mumbai Police lodged an FIR against Kamra and it has also arrested 11 Shiv Sena activists in connection with vandalism.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) carried out a demolition drive at The Habitat Studio, located at the Unicontinental Hotel in Khar, on Monday, citing violations of civic rules.
Responding to ruling MahaYuti alliance leader’s accusation that Kamra has been given supari (contract), Thackeray asked, “What supari are you talking about? Who gave the supari for the Nagpur riots? Who gave the supari for Aurangzeb's grave issue? Even though the state and the country are in your hands, how did the riots take place?”
“The vandalism that took place yesterday was done by the traitorous Sena. It was not done by the Shiv Sena. These traitors do not see Koratkar or Solapurkar (who were accused of insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj).
“I would like to tell the Chief Minister that justice should be equal for everyone. That damage to the studio should be compensated. We speak openly about freedom of expression. There is an attempt to reduce the powers of the Chief Minister,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray said that Kunal Kamra did not name anyone in the show and asked, “So who is the traitor and the thief? I think it's bad that Eknath Shinde's own workers have decided that Eknath Shinde is the traitor and thief. Because, Kunal Kamra didn't take anyone's name. Then they had no reason to get angry. But they have decided that their boss is a traitor and a thief.”
“Who should Kunal Kamra apologise to? Does Devendra Fadnavis agree that Eknath Shinde is thief and traitor? When I saw that video, I didn't know who Kunal Kamra was talking about,” he commented.
“I watched Kunal Kamra's full video, I heard his poem, but he did not mention Eknath Shinde's name anywhere in it,” he said.
“There is a meeting today regarding the road concretisation scam, I will be present in that meeting. I have already said that there is a scam in the work of these roads, and demanded that it should be investigated by the Economic Offences Wing,” he said.
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