Shinde joke row: Kunal Kamra faces 3 cases in Mumbai
What's the story
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra is at the center of a legal controversy after he allegedly made derogatory comments against Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde.
Three separate cases have been registered against him at the Khar Police Station in Mumbai, reported ANI.
One of the complainants is the Mayor of Jalgaon city, in addition to a hotelier and a businessman in Nashik.
Kamra has been summoned for questioning twice but has not appeared for the investigation yet.
Legal proceedings
Kamra granted interim anticipatory bail by the Madras High Court
On Friday, the Madras High Court granted Kamra interim anticipatory bail in connection with multiple FIRs lodged against him.
Justice Sunder Mohan directed this interim relief till April 7, 2025, with certain conditions.
The comedian had approached the court seeking transit anticipatory bail, citing several threats received after his recent satirical remarks.
Kamra is expected to appear at Khar Police Station on March 31 for questioning.
Controversial joke
Kamra's controversial joke sparked outrage and vandalism
Kamra's "gaddar" (traitor) joke, allegedly targeted at Shinde, sparked a political storm.
Several political leaders denounced his comments during his recent stand-up show and called for action against him.
Amid the furore, Shinde's Shiv Sena youth wing, Yuva Sena, vandalized the Habitat comedy venue where his stand-up act was filmed.
Despite the outrage, Kamra has remained unapologetic for his parody performance but said he would cooperate with the police.
Speech rights
Kamra's stance on freedom of speech and expression
In his statement on Instagram, Kamra also addressed political leaders threatening him with consequences.
He stressed that not being able to take a joke at the expense of a powerful public figure doesn't change his right to free speech.
"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."