Synopsis
Uddhav Thackeray defends comedian Kunal Kamra's remarks, asserting they reflect public sentiment. His son Aaditya questions the anger from Shiv Sena activists, stating that Kamra did not name anyone.Key Takeaways
- Uddhav Thackeray supports Kunal Kamra's expression of public sentiment.
- Aaditya Thackeray questions the anger of Shiv Sena members.
- The controversy arose from Kamra's satirical video targeting Eknath Shinde.
- Actions were taken against Kamra and Shiv Sena activists involved in vandalism.
- Thackeray demands justice and compensation for the damaged studio.
Mumbai, March 24 (NationPress) - Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), stated on Monday that comedian Kunal Kamra articulated the sentiments of individuals feeling betrayed by corruption. His son, Aaditya Thackeray, added that since Kamra did not mention anyone by name, the anger from Shiv Sena activists was unwarranted. “Kunal Kamra has not said anything inappropriate. These are the feelings of the populace. I stand with Kunal Kamra,” Uddhav Thackeray remarked after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared in the Maharashtra Assembly that stringent actions would be initiated against Kamra and that the upcoming 2024 Assembly elections would reveal who the 'traitor' was.
Uddhav Thackeray responded following Kamra's satirical video that seemingly targeted Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, which stirred controversy.
The video, released after Kamra's performance at the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, featured the comedian using a reworked version of a well-known Bollywood song from 'Dil To Pagal Hai.' “Meri nazar se tum dekho toh, gaddar nazar wo aaye. Haaye,” Kunal Kamra expressed during his performance, interpreted as a jab at Shinde, prompting a protest from Shiv Sena activists who vandalized the hotel where the comedian's show was filmed.
The Mumbai Police filed an FIR against Kamra and arrested 11 Shiv Sena activists linked to the vandalism.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) conducted a demolition drive at The Habitat Studio, situated at the Unicontinental Hotel in Khar, on Monday, citing violations of civic regulations.
In response to accusations from the ruling MahaYuti alliance that Kamra received a supari (contract), Thackeray questioned, “What supari are you referencing? Who commissioned the Nagpur riots? Who was behind the issue regarding Aurangzeb's grave? Despite you controlling the state and country, how did the riots unfold?”
Thackeray stated, “The vandalism yesterday was executed by traitorous Sena members. It was not the Shiv Sena. These traitors disregard Koratkar or Solapurkar (who faced accusations of disrespecting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj).
He further emphasized, “Justice must be impartial. Compensation for the damage to the studio is necessary. We advocate for freedom of expression openly. There’s a move to curtail the Chief Minister's authority,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, Aaditya Thackeray highlighted that Kunal Kamra did not name anyone during his performance, questioning, “So who is the traitor and the thief? I believe it's unfortunate that Eknath Shinde's own supporters have concluded that he is the traitor and thief. Kunal Kamra didn't name anyone, thus they had no reason to be upset. Yet they have decided that their leader is a traitor and a thief.”
He queried, “To whom should Kunal Kamra apologize? Does Devendra Fadnavis concur that Eknath Shinde is a thief and traitor? When I viewed that video, I was unsure who Kamra was referring to,” he stated.
“I watched Kunal Kamra's complete video and listened to his poem, yet he did not mention Eknath Shinde's name anywhere,”
he added.
“There will be a meeting today concerning the road concretization scam, and I will attend. I have previously asserted that there is fraud related to these roads, and I have called for an investigation by the Economic Offences Wing,”
he concluded.
