Maharashtra minister warns police: Arrest comedian Kunal Kamra, don’t test our patience

Maharashtra tourism minister and Shiv Sena leader Shambhuraj Desai has issued a stern warning to the police, demanding the immediate arrest of stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra over a controversial parody song mocking Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Eknath Shinde.

Enraged Shiv Sena workers vandalized a Mumbai studio last week where Kamra’s show had been recorded. Speaking to reporters on March 27, Desai made his impatience clear.

“We have been asked by Shinde to remain restrained, which is why we are quiet. As Shiv Sena workers, we know how to drag him out from wherever he is hiding, but as ministers, we have some restrictions,” Desai said.

He further warned the authorities, saying, “We want to tell the police — do not test our patience. Find him, arrest him, and give him ‘prasad.' In Marathi, ‘prasad’ refers to a religious offering but is often used as a euphemism for punishment.

Kamra’s contentious parody was set to the tune of a hit song from the Bollywood film Dil Toh Pagal Hai and featured the word gaddar (traitor), seemingly directed at Shinde. Leaders from the rival Shiv Sena (UBT) faction frequently use the term to describe Shinde and his supporters, who split from Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership in 2022.

Following vandalism last week at the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai’s Khar area, several Sena workers were arrested and later granted bail.

Meanwhile, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Kamra based on a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel, who accused the comedian of making defamatory remarks against Shinde. The police have summoned Kamra for questioning. (PTI)