Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, who is at the center of a legal storm for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has written to the Khar Police Station in Mumbai requesting that his statement be recorded via video conferencing. Kamra, who has faced multiple summons from the police in connection with the case, has not appeared for questioning so far. However, the Khar Police have not responded to his request for video conferencing, leaving the issue unresolved.
Kamra was initially summoned by the Khar Police three times about his stand-up comedy act titled Naya Bharat, which he performed in February at the Habitat Studio in Hotel Unicontinental, Mumbai. A video clip from the show, uploaded by Kamra on YouTube, went viral and drew significant controversy. In the video, Kamra allegedly called Eknath Shinde a "traitor," which led to the filing of multiple FIRs against him. Despite the summons, Kamra failed to appear at the police station on any of the three occasions, including a recent summon on March 31, 2025.
The comedian’s refusal to comply with the summons has prompted the police to consider issuing a fourth summons. A senior police officer stated, “The third summons was issued to him on March 31, and he was asked to appear on Saturday. However, he did not show up. We are yet to decide whether we will issue a fourth summons.”
The controversy deepened when Shiv Sena workers, angered by Kamra’s remarks, vandalized the studio where the show was held. Following the incident, the police registered a suo motu case against the Sena workers, and 12 individuals were arrested but later released on bail. Kamra, undeterred by the backlash, has stated on social media that he will not apologize for his comments. He has also posted additional videos in which he criticises the government and its ministers.
Kamra, however, managed to secure anticipatory bail from the Madras High Court, which will protect him from arrest until April 7, 2025. This interim relief allows him to avoid immediate detention, but the case is still ongoing.
Amid the controversy, Shiv Sena's social media in-charge, Rahool Kanal, has requested that BookMyShow remove Kamra from its platform. Kanal sent a formal letter to BookMyShow CEO Ashish Hemrajani, urging the company to stop promoting Kamra’s shows, citing his alleged defamation and vilification of public figures. Kanal argued that Kamra’s remarks go beyond humor and have the potential to incite public unrest. He also stated that continuing to promote Kamra's performances would be seen as an endorsement of his divisive rhetoric, which could harm public sentiment.