Mumbai: An FIR was registered against Shiv Sena Yuva Sena (Shinde faction) General Secretary Rahool Kanal and 19 others for vandalising the Habitat stand-up comedy venue in Mumbai. The case has been filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Maharashtra Police Act.
A case has been registered against 30 to 40 party workers, including Rahul Kanal and Kunal Sarmalkar. The sections have included obstructing government work, rioting, intimidation, unlawful assembly, and trespassing. The police applied 13 sections against the party workers.
Sena Workers Vandalise Habitat Club
The controversy erupted after comedian Kunal Kamra mocked Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a recent stand-up performance, calling him a 'traitor' while referencing the song 'Dil To Pagal Hai'. The video of his remarks went viral, sparking outrage among Shiv Sena (Shinde) supporters. In response, party workers ransacked The Unicontinental Mumbai and vandalised the Habitat Club, located in the same building in Khar West.
Sena MP Calls Kunal Kamra A 'Hired Comedian'
Reacting to the incident, Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske dismissed Kamra as a 'hired comedian' paid to criticise their leader. "Kunal Kamra is a hired comedian making comments on our leader for money. Let alone Maharashtra, Kamra cannot freely go anywhere in India, Shiv Sainiks will show him his place," Mhaske said.
He also took a dig at the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction and its leader Sanjay Raut, claiming they had no party members left to challenge Shinde. "We feel sorry for Sanjay Raut and Shiv Sena (UBT) because they have no party workers or leaders left to make comments on our leader. That’s why they are hiring people like Kunal Kamra for the job," he added.
Mhaske further warned that Kamra would face consequences and suggested that he would eventually be forced to apologise. "We follow Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology, and we will ensure that Kunal Kamra is not free to move around, neither in Maharashtra nor in the country. He will get a befitting reply and will have to apologise for his mistake," he stated.
Following the vandalism, Shiv Sena (Shinde) workers gathered at Khar Police Station to file a complaint against Kamra, demanding his arrest. The party has also threatened legal action if the comedian does not issue an apology.
