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Mumbai:
Doubling down on his remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Eknath Shinde, which have triggered a massive row, comedian Kunal Kamra has said the Shiv Sena chief is not liked even by members of the BJP, which is his ally in Maharashtra as well as the Centre.
Speaking to NDTV on Tuesday, Mr Kamra said he has received at least 500 calls in which people have threatened to kill him and cut him to pieces (“kaat denge tumhe“). “All the calls are only from Shiv Sena workers. I have not received even a single call from BJP workers. I think even the BJP does not like Mr Shinde,” the comedian said.
In a show shot at the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai’s Khar, Mr Kamra had made some comments on the Shiv Sena chief – without naming him – through a satirical version of the song ‘Bholi si surat’ from the 1997 blockbuster ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’. The satirical song also had a mention of ‘gaddar’ (traitor) which was seen as a reference to Mr Shinde splitting the Shiv Sena in 2022 and joining hands with the BJP, leading to the Uddhav Thacekray-led government losing power in Maharashtra.
Mr Shinde, who was given the post of chief minister at the time with the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis and the NCP’s Ajit Pawar as his deputies, was reportedly very upset when he was denied the top job after the Maharashtra Assembly elections last year. There was also speculation over him refusing to join the government led by Mr Fadnavis but had finally taken oath as a deputy chief minister alongside Mr Pawar. Ties between the Shiv Sena and the BJP have reportedly been strained since.
‘Asked For A Week’
After Mr Kamra’s show was posted on YouTube, Shiv Sena workers had vandalised the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar. The police had arrested 12 people affiliated with the Sena, who were later granted bail.
Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel had also filed a case against Mr Kamra for his remarks against Mr Shinde. The case is being investigated by the Khar police, which had asked the comedian to appear before the investigating officer on Tuesday.
Mr Kamra told NDTV that he had spoken to an officer of the Khar police station and asked for a week’s time to appear. The officer, he said, asked him to do so as soon as possible.
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