"Supari" For Comedy? Conspiracy Probe After Kunal Kamra Mocks Eknath Shinde

Mumbai Police are investigating if Kunal Kamra's jokes targeting Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde were part of a conspiracy and whether the comic received money or any other form of help to mock the Maharashtra Chief Minister, sources have said.

A team from Khar police station visited Kunal Kamra's Mumbai home, where his parents stay, with a summons, asking the comic to appear for questioning in connection with the cases against him. Since the comic is believed to have left the state, the summons has been sent to his WhatsApp number too. Kamra faces multiple charges, including defamation and statements conducing to public mischief.

According to Mumbai police sources, they are trying to find out if Kunal received money or any other help to target Eknath Shinde. They are also probing if someone helped the comic write the lines he used against the Sena chief. Police have said Kunal Kamra's phone and other devices may be examined during the probe.

In a show shot at Mumbai's Habitat studio, Kunal Kamra targeted Mr Shinde with a parody of 'Bholi Si Surat', a popular song from the 1997 blockbuster Dil To Pagal Hai. He used the 'gaddar' (traitor) jibe against the Shiv Sena leader, who led a rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray in 2022, bringing down his government and splitting the party.

Upset with the remarks, Shiv Sena workers vandalised the studio, a preferred venue for stand-up comedy shows. Mr Shinde has said he did not support the vandalism, but cited party workers' sentiments and said, "every action has a reaction". He has also asked who gave Kunal Kamra "supari" to target him. 

Besides the vandalism, the studio also faced a demolition exercise with civic officials alleging building law violations. The studio announced it has decided to shut down for now and said it was not responsible for the content in performers' shows. "We have never been involved in the content performed by any Artist, but the recent events have made us rethink about how we get blamed and targeted every time almost like we are a proxy for the performer," it said.

In a statement issued late last night, Kunal Kamra said the studio or any political party was not responsible for his remarks. "An entertainment venue is merely a platform. A space for all sorts of shows. Habitat (or any other venue) is not responsible for my comedy, nor does it have any power or control over what I say or do. Neither does any political party. Attacking a venue for a comedian's words is as senseless as overturning a lorry carrying tomatoes, because you didn't like the butter chicken you were served," he said in a post on X.

He said he does not fear the mob and won't be hiding. The comic said he was willing to cooperate with police and courts. "But will the law be fairly and equally deployed against those who have decided that vandalism is the appropriate response to being offended by a joke? And against the unelected members of the BMC, who have arrived today at Habitat, without prior notice, and tore the place down with hammers?" he asked.

The Opposition, meanwhile, has backed the comic and slammed the Maharashtra government for going after him. Uddhav Thackeray, Mr Shinde's former boss, said Kunal Kamra has told the truth. "It was not satire. Those who steal are 'gaddar'. There is no 'freedom of expression' when it comes to traitors," the Sena (UBT) chief has said.