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Mob ransacks Indian comedy venue after Shiv Sena leader ridiculed

Mob ransacks Indian comedy venue after Shiv Sena leader ridiculed

Comedian Kunal Kamra, known for his acerbic political commentary, called Eknath Shinde a "traitor".
24 Mar, 2025

A mob ransacked a club in India’s financial capital after a stand-up comedian ridiculed one of the city’s leading politicians from the stage, prompting a police investigation into the performer.

Kunal Kamra, one of India’s leading comics, is known for his acerbic commentary on Indian politics.

His Sunday performance in Mumbai included a parody song referring to Eknath Shinde, the number two figure in the state government, as a “traitor”.

Soon after the show finished, supporters from Shinde’s Shiv Sena party stormed The Habitat comedy venue and began wreaking havoc.

Footage widely shared on social media showed dozens of men throwing chairs, smashing light fittings and breaking apart paintings mounted on the wall.

At least 20 people were being sought in relation to the vandalism at the club, local media reported.

The Habitat said in a Monday social media post that it was shutting its doors until it determined the “best way to provide a platform for free expression” without putting the venue “in jeopardy”.

Police were attempting to locate Kamra after an official complaint was registered against him for making defamatory remarks.

Maharashtra state chief minister — and Shinde’s boss — Devendra Fadnavis said the comedian “should apologise” and that “insult of leaders cannot be tolerated”.

“Everyone has a right to perform stand-up comedy. But freedom should not be unrestrained behaviour… Action will be taken against him as per the law,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying.

The “traitor” remark was a reference to Shinde’s decision to switch his political allegiance in 2022, precipitating a weeklong political crisis in the state that forced the resignation of the then-chief minister.

Kamra has yet to publicly comment on the incident, but the backlash against him is not the first time that an Indian comic has come under fire from supporters of politicians.

In 2021, Muslim comedian Munawar Faruqui was held in prison for more than a month after being accused of insulting Hindu gods and goddesses.

He later cancelled three shows in Mumbai after a Hindu activist group threatened to set the venue on fire.

Comments

Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Mar 24, 2025 01:08pm
Freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of thought, freedom of choice, freedom of movement and freedom of expression at its lowest ebb in world's top false, feign, sham, shame, feeble and feint democracy called Republic of India.
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Venus Mar 24, 2025 01:18pm
Why always project a negative news about india, any gains why to give false impression in public mindset,India's development is tremendous last 20 yrs,by giving false news any advantage to Pakistan.
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Multani Mar 24, 2025 04:51pm
Comedians must know their limits, you cross them you hurt people they respond, happens everywhere.
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Johnw Mar 24, 2025 06:15pm
This man is a menace, a mediocre comedian and an attention seeker through controversies
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Jason Khan Mar 24, 2025 08:27pm
Very typical BJP mentality. Play the victim card and destroy anyone that criticizes you. The comedian is lucky to be alive. The goons would definitely have had hurt him, had they been given a chance. Comedians should be aware of the sentiments of people around them. Freedom of speech is different for different people, and for BJP goons, freedom of speech is only for themselves, not others.
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GreenAura Mar 25, 2025 02:24am
Backward nation masquerading as "modern". No surprises to those who know this nation well.
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Truth Mar 25, 2025 08:31am
Good, freedom of speech ain’t insulting others
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Saeed Mar 25, 2025 08:53am
Shining Indian freedom of speech
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Arvind Deshpande Mar 25, 2025 08:08pm
Shiv Sena is not BJP. If you knew Bombay politics, you'd recognize that this fascist approach is specifically Shiv Sena. It has always had a class enemy, once it was South Indians, specifically Tamils, later Muslims in Bombay. Targeting comedians and artistes' freedom of speech has been their way from the beginning under Bal Thackeray, who was himself a cartoonist. According to Shiv Sena, only Thackeray had freedom of speech, and other cartoonists didn't.
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