Indian comedian booked, threatened over joke about Shiv Sena leader

Renowned Indian comedian Kunal Kamra was named in an FIR after making a joke about a senior leader of a far-right political party. His stand-up show sparked outrage among Shiv Sena followers, who stormed the venue, vandalised property, and issued death threats against him.

Kamra’s performance took place in Maharashtra, where he sang a satirical song mentioning Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The act infuriated Shiv Sena supporters, leading to violent protests.

A mob of Shiv Sena members stormed the comedy club, ransacked the venue, and forced its closure.

Far-right extremist groups in India demanded an apology, which Kamra refused to offer. Instead, he continued sharing clips from the show on social media and issued a statement on Monday night, vowing to cooperate with authorities as per the law.

However, he questioned the impartiality of law enforcement, stating, “Will the law be fairly and equally applied against those who believe vandalism is an appropriate response to being offended by a joke?”

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Indian police arrested 12 protesters involved in the attack on the comedy club inside a hotel but later released them. Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde distanced himself from the violence but criticised Kamra’s joke, saying, “There is freedom of expression. We understand satire, but there should be a limit.”

Following the threats and attacks, Mumbai’s Habitat Comedy Club announced its remporary shutdown, citing security concerns. Adding to the tension, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) partially demolished parts of the club’s structure.

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Shinde’s lawyer further inflamed the situation by urging Hindutva supporters to force Kamra out of the country. Despite mounting pressure, Kamra remained defiant, stating he would not back down from the outrage, emphasising that Indian law does not prohibit satire directed at political leaders.

This is not the first time an Indian comedian has faced backlash. In 2021, Munawar Faruqui was jailed for several days over allegations that his comedy "hurt Hindu sentiments."

Similarly, actor-comedian Vir Das faced severe criticism for his monologue, "Two Indias," where he highlighted the country's contradictions, stating, “We worship women during the day but gang-rape them at night.”