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Uddhav Thackeray reacts to Kunal Kamra controversy: ‘Calling a traitor gaddar not wrong’
Uddhav Thackeray said he does not think comedian Kunal Kamra said anything wrong.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday reacted to the controversy over stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra's alleged defamatory remarks against Shiv Sena chief Ekanth Shinde, saying it is not wrong to call a “traitor” a "gaddar".
“I don't think Kunal Kamra said anything wrong. Calling 'gaddar', a 'gaddar' is not an attack on anyone...Hear the full song (from Kunal Kamra's show) and make others hear it too," Uddhav Thackeray was quoted as saying by ANI. Follow live updates here.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief also clarified that his party had nothing to do with the vandalisation of Habitat Studio at the Unicontinental Hotel in Mumbai's Khar area.
"Shiv Sena has nothing to do with this attack, this has been done by 'gaddar sena'...Those who have 'gaddari' in their blood can never be a Shiv Sainik," Uddhav Thackeray added.
While performing at the Habitat Studio at the Unicontinental Hotel in Mumbai's Khar area, Kamra referred to Shinde as a "traitor" and sang a parody of him.
On Sunday night, several Shiv Sena workers went to the studio and vandalised it.
On Monday, the Mumbai Police arrested 11 members of Shiv Sena's youth faction, Yuva Sena, for their involvement in the vandalisation of the Habitat comedy club, the venue of the stand-up gig.
Police said that the youth group stormed the comedy club in the middle of another comedian's show, forcing it to stop and then vandalised the venue where Kamra's special was filmed.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel filed an FIR against Kunal Kamra for his remarks on party supremo Eknath Shinde and demanded strict action.
Eknath Shinde had split the Shiv Sena in 2002 and pulled down the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Later the Election Commission of India (ECI) ruled in favour of his faction, giving him Shiv Sena’s official name and election symbol.
Politicians react to Kunal Kamra controversy
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has insulted Eknath Shinde with his remarks and should apologise for his "low-level comedy".
“We respect freedom of expression, but recklessness will not be tolerated,” he said. The CM added that in 2024, people will decide who is the real Sena leader.
“Kamra should apologise for his low-level comedy. You can have satire but not insult anyone,” he added.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar also reacted to the row and said that people should respect legal boundaries.
"I have seen that. Nobody should go beyond the law, Constitution, and rules. They should express themselves within their rights," Pawar told reporters. He said that there might be differences in opinions but that it should not become a point of escalating any issue.
"There can be differences of opinion, but it should be noted that there need not be police involvement when they are talking," the deputy CM was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said Kamra similarly joked about the MVA government and condemned hooliganism.
“However, I believe that there is freedom of speech. If there is no personal comment, then that should be accepted. If the comment is on any political line of thought, it should be accepted. This is the beauty of our country's democracy. Kunal Kamra's office, and studio were vandalised, this is hooliganism,” he said.
NCP-SCP MLA Rohit Pawar, this is not the pre-2014 era for comedians to enjoy freedom of expression and urged leaders to impart some wisdom to their party workers.
