The Opposition has criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for staying silent on Kunal Kamra’s jokes about Prime Minister Narendra Modi while reacting sharply to his parody song. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police issued a second summons to the comedian over alleged derogatory remarks about Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde.
Khar police in suburban Mumbai summoned Kamra to appear before the investigating officer. This action followed a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel. Police had already issued the first summons on Tuesday when the defamation probe began. Kamra, 36, requested a week to appear, according to PTI sources.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve questioned the BJP’s selective outrage. Speaking after the Maharashtra Budget session, Danve said the BJP ignored Kamra’s direct jibes at Modi but reacted strongly to a parody song. “Kamra openly mocked Modi, but the BJP stayed quiet. Yet, they protested a parody song that did not even name Shinde. Clearly, the BJP is using Shinde to target Kamra,” Danve alleged.
Without directly naming Shinde, Kamra reportedly mocked his political career. His parody of a popular Hindi song from Dil To Pagal Hai seemed to call Shinde a “gaddar” (traitor). Kamra’s performance also touched on recent political shifts in Maharashtra, including the 2022 Shiv Sena split and the 2023 Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) divide.
On Sunday night, Shiv Sena members vandalized the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, where Kamra performed. They also damaged the hotel that hosted the venue. Following this, Khar police registered an FIR against Kamra based on Patel’s complaint.
Police also filed a case against 40 workers of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena for the vandalism. On Monday, authorities arrested 12 people, including Shiv Sena leader Rahul Kanal, for damaging property. A local court granted them bail the same day.
Despite facing legal pressure, Kamra remains defiant. His jokes continue to draw both support and criticism as the political tussle intensifies. The Opposition insists that the BJP’s selective responses reveal a political agenda aimed at silencing dissent.
The case highlights rising tensions between political parties and the increasing use of legal action against satirists. With both sides standing firm, the controversy around Kunal Kamra’s performance shows no signs of fading soon.
