Kunal Kamra refuses to apologise for ‘traitor’ remark on Eknath Shinde, questions vandalism on venue
HomeIndia NewsKunal Kamra refuses to apologise for ‘traitor’ remark on Eknath Shinde, questions vandalism on venue
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has refused to apologise for his “traitor” joke about Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, despite protests and vandalism at his show venue. Kamra defended his right to free speech, while Uddhav Thackeray backed him. Meanwhile, the government has ordered an investigation into his financial records.
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, in his first response to the controversy surrounding his “traitor” joke on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, refused to apologise and criticised those who vandalised the venue of his show.
“I will not apologise. I don’t fear this mob, and I will not be hiding under my bed, waiting for this to die down,” Kamra wrote in a post on X.
His statement came after protests by Shiv Sena workers and a police case filed against him following his remark on Shinde’s 2022 rebellion against the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. A clip of the joke went viral on social media on Sunday, sparking outrage.
In response, Shiv Sena workers vandalised Habitat Club, the venue where the show was recorded. The police arrested 12 individuals in connection with the incident, later granting them bail. A case was also registered against around 40 Shiv Sena workers for allegedly damaging the studio.
Kamra condemned the attack, stating: “An entertainment venue is merely a platform, a space for all kinds of shows. Habitat (or any other venue) is not responsible for my comedy, nor does it have any power or control over what I say or do. Neither does any political party.”
My Statement – pic.twitter.com/QZ6NchIcsM
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) March 24, 2025
Addressing calls for an apology, Kamra defended his right to freedom of speech. “Our right to freedom of speech and expression is not only to be used to fawn over the powerful and rich even though today’s media would have us believe otherwise. Your inability to take a joke at the expense of a powerful public figure does not change the nature of my right. As far as I know, it is not against the law to poke fun at our leaders and the circus that is our political system,” he said.
Kamra also stated that he is willing to cooperate with the authorities but questioned whether the law would be applied fairly. “I am willing to cooperate with the police and courts for any lawful action taken against me. But will the law be fairly and equally deployed against those who believe vandalism is the right response to being offended by a joke?”
Political reactions
Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis demanded that Kamra apologise. “Eknath Shinde ji has been insulted, and an attempt has been made to do so. This will not be tolerated. The elections have proven who the traitors are. No stand-up comedian should have the right to call such a big leader a traitor,” Fadnavis told reporters.
State Minister of Home Affairs Yogesh Kadam announced in the Assembly that authorities would scrutinise Kamra’s call records and bank statements to investigate “who is behind this.”
Uddhav Thackeray backs Kamra
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray came out in support of Kamra, asserting that there was nothing wrong with calling a “traitor” a traitor.
“I don’t think Kunal Kamra said anything wrong. Calling a ‘gaddar’ a ‘gaddar’ is not an attack on anyone. Listen to the full song (from Kamra’s show) and share it with others. Shiv Sena has nothing to do with this attack—this was carried out by the ‘gaddar sena’… Those who have ‘gaddari’ in their blood can never be a Shiv Sainik,” Thackeray said.
