FIR Filed Against Comedian Kunal Kamra Over Remarks on Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde; Shiv Sena Workers Ransack Comedy Club

Mumbai, March 24, 2025: Comedian Kunal Kamra has landed in legal trouble after the Mumbai Police registered an FIR against him on Monday for allegedly making defamatory and inflammatory remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a recent stand-up performance. The complaint was filed by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel at the MIDC Police Station.

“What he has said about our topmost leader is unacceptable,” said Mr. Patel, adding that he visited the police station late Sunday night to press for action. “We have registered an FIR and sought immediate action,” he told The Hindu.

The FIR, registered under sections 353(1)(b), 353(2), and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), includes charges related to statements conducing to public mischief and defamation, according to an MIDC police official.

The controversy erupted after a video of Kamra’s performance surfaced on social media, in which he referred to Deputy CM Shinde as a “gaddar” (traitor) using a parody of a song from Dil To Pagal Hai, drawing loud laughter from the audience. The clip quickly went viral, even shared by rival Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, who captioned it “Kunal Ka Kamal.”

Outraged by the remarks, Shiv Sena party workers vandalized the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar — the venue where the show was filmed — and also damaged parts of the hotel in which the club is housed. A separate FIR has been registered against the attackers involved in the ransacking.

Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske issued a stern warning to Kamra, calling him a “contract comedian” and alleging that he was being paid by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray to target Shinde. “You will be forced to flee India,” Mhaske declared in a video statement, likening Shinde to a snake and threatening “dire consequences” if provoked further.

Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC also slammed Kamra on X (formerly Twitter),accusing him