Bollywood actress and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kangana Ranaut hit out at comedian Kunal Kamra for his recent remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Kunal called Shinde a ‘Gaddar (traitor)’, a term often used by critics due to his defection from the Shiv Sena, which led to the formation of the current government in Maharashtra.
Reacting to Kunal’s comments, Kangana defended Eknath Shinde and criticised the comedian’s mockery. Speaking to the media outside the Parliament on Tuesday (March 25), she said, “Whether you agree with someone or not, making fun of them, especially mocking an illegal incident that happened to me, is not right. I won’t compare that incident with this because that was illegal, while this is completely legal.”
Kangana was seemingly referring to the 2020 incident in which her Mumbai office was demolished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) following her spat with the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government.
The actress further praised Eknath Shinde for his journey from being an auto-rickshaw driver to becoming the state’s Deputy CM.
“Shinde ji once drove a rickshaw, and today, he has reached great heights on his own merit. But who are these people mocking him? What credentials do they have? What have they achieved in life?” she added.
The Controversy
Kunal, known for his sharp political satire, has often been vocal against the BJP and its allies. His remark calling Eknath Shinde a ‘Gaddar’ aligns with the criticism from Uddhav Thackeray’s faction, which accuses Eknath Shinde of betraying the Shiv Sena by aligning with the BJP.
Kunal’s comments, made during his stand-up performance in Mumbai, have triggered mixed reactions, with supporters of Eknath Shinde slamming him for disrespecting the politician, while his fans have defended his right to free speech.
In fact, on March 23, the venue where Kunal performed was vandalised by Eknath Shinde supporters. Shiv Sena party workers also gathered at the Khar Police Station to file a complaint against Kunal, while others approached the MIDC Police Station with similar demands.
Reacting to the controversy, Kunal slammed the mob for vandalising the studio and refused to apologise, stating that it is “not against the law to poke fun at leaders and the circus that is the political system.”
He added, “Will the law be fairly and equally deployed against those who have decided that vandalism is the appropriate response to being offended by a joke? And against the unelected members of the BMC, who have arrived today at Habitat, without prior notice, and tore the place down with hammers? Perhaps for my next venue, I will opt for Elphinstone bridge, or any other structure in Mumbai that’s in need of speedy demolition.”
Kamra added, “I don’t fear this mob & I will not be hiding under my bed, waiting for this to die down,” calling the vandalism of the venue ‘senseless,’ comparing it to “overturning a lorry carrying tomatoes because you didn’t like the butter chicken you were served.”
