Mumbai, March 24 (NationPress) The Shiv Sena vehemently denounced the "distasteful and defamatory" comments made by comedian Kunal Kamra during his latest show at the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai.

The party stated that his intentional effort to ridicule Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and distort the state’s political landscape for his own propaganda constitutes a calculated assault on the leadership.

“He has once again exploited the fundamental right to free speech, disguising his malice as comedy to tarnish reputations and disseminate politically charged misinformation,” the statement from Shiv Sena read.

In a press release, the party asserted that it will not accept any attempts to insult or defame the leadership that diligently serves the people of Maharashtra.

“We demand that Kunal Kamra extend an unconditional apology for his remarks about Eknath Shinde and stop utilizing comedy as a weapon to propagate hatred and falsehood,” they emphasized.

The release noted that Kamra possesses a well-documented record of controversial and offensive actions, demonstrating that this incident is not an isolated event. He has consistently disrespected institutions, individuals, and religious sentiments under the guise of satire,” stated the party.

Additionally, they highlighted his previous misdeeds, including the contempt of court case in 2020, where he faced legal repercussions from the Supreme Court for a series of tweets that defamed the judiciary and mocked former Chief Justice DY Chandrachud.

“His posts included offensive imagery and unfounded allegations. Comments referring to the Supreme Court as a ‘brahmin-baniya’ affair during his show ‘Be Like’ in 2020 received widespread backlash for their divisive nature. In a separate incident that year, Kamra faced bans from multiple airlines after he harassed a senior journalist mid-flight and posted the encounter online with derogatory remarks. Reports also emerged accusing him of creating fake social media accounts to harass women within the comedy community,” the party added.

In 2021, Kamra unfoundedly accused the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having "blood on his hands" amid the COVID-19 crisis, furthering a narrative of misinformation and animosity.

“In a manipulated video featuring a child, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) requested action against Kamra for sharing a doctored clip of a child singing for PM Modi, exploiting the innocence of a minor for political mockery. During the ‘Kashmir Files’ controversy in 2022, Kamra disrespected India's National Emblem by using a morphed image to ridicule the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits and the film itself. Again in 2022, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) issued a legal notice to Kamra for allegedly mocking Hindu deities in his performances, resulting in the cancellation of several shows.

“In 2023, Kamra legally contested the government's IT Rules aimed at curbing misinformation, furthering his agenda to undermine regulatory measures. Throughout 2023-24, he repeatedly derided the Election Commission and spread unfounded claims regarding the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs),” the Shiv Sena remarked.

The party reiterated that while freedom of speech is a fundamental right, it does not grant permission to insult, mock, or defame others.

They emphasized that Kunal Kamra’s statements indicate a calculated effort to mislead public sentiment and tarnish Eknath Shinde's image.

“His close ties with Aditya Thackeray and the UBT Sena are widely known, raising serious doubts about whether his latest act is politically driven,” the party concluded.

Shiv Sena pointed out that the timing of Kamra’s comments is suspicious, coinciding with a petition filed by the father of the late Disha Salian.

“It is clear that he has been strategically utilized by his political backers to divert attention from ongoing investigations and mislead the public,” asserted the Shiv Sena.