Friday, 25 April 2025
Friday, 25 April 2025
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra’s show in Mumbai has turned into a flashpoint for free speech, with Opposition leaders slamming Shiv Sena-led vandalism that followed his jibe.
Kamra’s remarks, interpreted as a dig at Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, triggered an aggressive backlash from Shiv Sena workers, raising concerns over growing intolerance.
Opposition calls out state-sponsored hooliganism
Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan warned that stifling speech with violence was a dangerous path. "You would be told to speak just on this and nothing else.... Where is freedom of speech? There is freedom of action only when there is a ruckus -- beat up the Opposition, rape women, kill them," she said.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore tore into the BJP-led government, calling the incident a reflection of growing intolerance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule. "This is the new India under the rule of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi where even if a comedy show is held, then the venue will be vandalised with the support of the local police," he said.
Shiv Sena-UBT MLA Aaditya Thackeray accused Shinde’s camp of overreacting to a nameless joke. "Why should Kunal Kamra apologise? If this traitor and thief is Eknath Shinde, then Kunal Kamra must apologise. But Eknath Shinde should first answer that he is a traitor and a thief," he said.
Thackeray called Shinde out for allowing his supporters to run riot. "Will the chief minister stop the hooliganism he is doing? The whole country, the whole world knows who is a traitor and a thief... Many times Kunal Kamra has talked about us, about so many people, about Modi sahab as well, but no one reacted like this," he added.
Shiv Sena defends mob justice
Far from expressing regret, the Shiv Sena justified the violence. Dhairyasheel Mane dismissed the attack as a "spontaneous reaction" to Kamra’s comments. "Shiv Sainiks are very emotionally attached to its leadership and no Shiv Sainik will tolerate such nonsense targeted at its leadership. Whatever happened on Sunday was a spontaneous reaction," he claimed.
Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora accused Kamra of classist bias. "Mocking Eknath Shinde -- a self-made leader who rose from driving an auto rickshaw to leading India's second-largest state -- reeks of classist arrogance. India is rejecting entitled monarchs and their bootlicking ecosystem that pretends to champion meritocracy and democracy," Deora said.
