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‘To discuss a joke’: What's the row between comedian Kunal Kamra and Maharashtra legislature? A song, and jibe at Shinde
No stranger to controversy for his political satire, Kamra obliquely referred to Eknath Shinde as a traitor in standup routine last year over Shiv Sena split
Comedian Kunal Kamra's parody song for Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde last year sparked violence at the venue by his Shiv Sena, and the controversy continues to fester still. Kamra is now facing the Maharashtra Legislative Council's Privileges Committee over the parody, and both sides are claiming the other sought is seeking more time.
Kamra, who lives in Puducherry, on Friday evening denied having sought an adjournment from the committee, and asserted that the panel itself deferred the February 5 hearing.
What is the controversy between Kunal Kamra and Maharashtra Legislative Council?
No stranger to controversy for his political satire and anti-authority takes, Kamra had obliquely referred to Eknath Shinde as a traitor in a standup routine last year.
In his performance at the Unicontinental Mumbai hotel in Khar area of the city, he fashioned a version of a Hindi song from the Shah Rukh Khan-Madhuri Dixit-Karisma Kapoor movie ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’, to describe the 2022 breakup of Uddhav Thackeray-led original Shiv Sena by the Shinde-led group.
Shinde's rebellion led to the collapse of the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government, and formation of a new regime led by Shinde with BJP's dominant support.
The Shinde group had more MLAs — thus Shinde unseated Uddhav as CM to take the chair — and thus the faction also got the original symbol and the name of the party founded by Bal Thackeray, Uddhav's father and Shinde's mentor.
Over Kamra's joke, a group of Shinde's Sena workers reached the hotel and ransacked its office too.
How did issue reach legislative council?
Earlier this week, the Privileges Committee of the Maharashtra Legislative Council — the Upper House of the legislature, the other being the Assembly — summoned Kunal Kamra along with Sushma Andhare of Uddhav's Shiv Sena (UBT) for a hearing.
This originated from a complaint or motion moved by BJP MLC Pravin Darekar in March last year. The BJP leader alleged that Kamra and Andhare used “derogatory” language for Shinde.
Kamra’s comic song, while going viral, kicked up a row in the then ongoing budget session of the legislature, evoking reactions in both Houses.
Darekar said Kamra “insulted” a “popular leader”, and thus breached the privilege of the legislature.
Sena-UBT's Andhare had released a video supporting Kamra, and asked why “those who had insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj” had not been targeted. Andhare thus also found herself at the receiving end of the BJP-led alliance Mahayuti’s ire.
When's the hearing now, who sought postponement?
Both Kamra and Andhare, in response to notices served on them seeking their explanation in July last year, denied the charges.
They were now summoned to appear before the House committee, headed by BJP legislator Prasad Lad, on February 5.
Prasad Lad has said Kamra and Andhare expressed their inability to attend the scheduled hearing at 2pm, February 5; and the hearing was thus rescheduled for February 17.
But Kamra disputed this version of events, and also underlined that a nine-member committee was going to “discuss a joke”.
In his version posted on X, Kamra dismissed reports that he had sought the adjournment. "I was asked to appear before the privileges committee on February 5. The summons was issued to me by a letter dated January 23 that was only served to me on January 29," he said in a lengthy post.
He said he had agreed to appear, and sent an email on January 30 confirming his attendance along with his lawyer. Kamra said he travelled to Mumbai on Wednesday, but the same evening he received a call from an officer of the legislature stating that the hearing was to be adjourned.
"The letter from the committee makes it clear that the adjournment was not at my request," he wrote.
He further stated that he has not been informed about the next date for the hearing "though media reports suggest it is to be on February 17".
"It is the interest of fairness that the record be corrected, and it be made clear that no adjournment was sought at my instance, and that I continue to remain willing to cooperate in the proceedings," Kamra said in his post on X.
He also noted that while he was told the proceedings are "confidential", notices sent to him appeared to have been leaked to the media. "The chairman of the committee appears to be giving statements to the media about the developments in the proceedings," he said.
In a similar development, the House committee also summoned Suryakant More of the NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar. Even Pawar's party was split — similar to what Shinde did to the Sena — by his nephew Ajit Pawar, who recently died in a plane crash.
In case of More, the charge is that he made derogatory remarks against the chairman of the legislative council Ram Shinde. The breach of privilege notice against More was moved in the winter session of the House in December.
(inputs by PTI, ANI)
