Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra criticised the government on Tuesday, accusing it of targeting artists who voice dissent. His remarks came after a controversy surrounding a joke he allegedly made about Maharashtra's deputy chief minister, Eknath Shinde.
Kamra shared, on his social media handles, what he described as a "playbook" used by the current administration to suppress free speech and stifle creative expression.
According to a report in the Mumbai edition of The Times of India, police have started collecting statements from attendees of Kunal Kamra's stand-up show, ‘Naya Bharat’, which took place on February 2, 2025, at Habitat Studio in Khar.
The investigation focuses on remarks Kamra reportedly made about Shinde during the event.
The police have issued notices to several audience members under Section 179 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC), enabling authorities to call witnesses for questioning as part of the inquiry.
Kunal Kamra, who is currently living in Puducherry, reacted to the ongoing investigation after Mumbai police visited his parents' home in Mahim on Monday to verify his whereabouts.
Kamra took to X, calling the police visit a "waste of time."
Mumbai police had sent him notices on March 25 and 26, asking him to report to the Khar police station. But Kamra did not comply, citing the interim bail granted to him by the Madras high court, which offers him temporary protection from arrest until April 7.
On March 23, Kunal Kamra uploaded a video to his YouTube channel in which he seemingly targeted Shinde during a satirical rendition of a popular Hindi film song. In the video, Kamra referred to Shinde as a "traitor," referencing his 2022 rebellion against then-chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and the subsequent political turmoil in the state.
Although Kamra did not name Shinde, the remarks were understood to be directed at him. The performance clips were widely shared on social media. Members of the Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena vandalised The Habitat Studio, where the video was filmed, the next day.
