Kunal Kamra row: Maharashtra Congress chief takes ‘Taliban’ jibe at BJP-Sena government
Harshvardhan Sapkal's criticism came amid the ongoing controversy over Kunal Kamra's 'traitor' jibe at Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde
Senior Congress leader Harshvardhan Sapkal on Monday accused the BJP-led Mahayuti government of turning Maharashtra into a 'Taliban-like regime.' His sharp criticism came amid the ongoing controversy over comedian Kunal Kamra's 'traitor' jibe at Maharashtra deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, which led to vandalism at Habitat comedy studio in Mumbai's Khar.
"The attackers belong to a ruling party. Do they not trust their government, the Constitution, the law and the Home Department? Why did they take the law into their own hands? Why did they resort to this attack when Kamra did not name Shinde," Sapkal asked.
"Does the ruling alliance plan to turn Maharashtra into a Taliban-like state," he further quipped.
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The vandalism incident occurred late Sunday night in protest of stand-up comedian Kamra’s alleged derogatory remarks targeting Shinde.
The Congress leader further highlighted that the studio in which Kamra performed did not belong to him and has hosted various cultural programmes where people of all ideologies participated.
He added that even BJP minister Ashish Shelar was felicitated at an event there.
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"The studio belongs to a freedom fighter who remained unmarried until India gained Independence and only married afterwards. This studio is made available without profit motives, and many artists have performed on its stage. The attack by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's workers on this cultural centre is also an attack on the property of a freedom fighter," the Congress leader said.
Maharashtra Congress chief's big question to CM Fadnavis
Questioning CM Devendra Fadnavis' March 22 statement on the Nagpur violence that "bulldozer will roll when necessary", the Maharashtra Congress president asked if the same action would be taken against Shinde's workers, who vandalised the Habitat studio.
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In his address, Sapkal also drew attention to the government’s selective use of power, citing the demolition of an accused’s house in Nagpur after the March 17 violence.
The government used a bulldozer on the house of Fahim Khan, an accused in the Nagpur riots. Since Minister Nitesh Rane from Fadnavis' cabinet has made provocative and inflammatory statements, will Fadnavis order a bulldozer on Nitesh Rane's house as well," he further asked.
(with PTI inputs)
