Kunal Kamra Summoned By Mumbai Police Over Shinde Remark Row

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Comedian Kunal Kamra has been summoned by Mumbai police over a remark he made about Eknath Shinde, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.

Comedian Kunal Kamra has been summoned by the Mumbai police over the Eknath Shinde remark row. The comedian has been asked to appear before the investigating officer.

The Khar police sent the summon at Kamra's residence which was handed over to his father as the comedian is currently not in Mumbai. The summon has also been sent via WhatsApp to Kamra.

A row erupted after the comedian took dig at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde for switching sides with Bharatiya Janata Party during one of his recent shows. The full performance titled 'Naya Bharat' was uploaded on YouTube on Sunday sparking outrage among Shinde loyalists.

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The Shinde Sena party workers protested and ransacked the Mumbai venue where the performance took place, prompting owners to shut the studio, and lodged police complaint against Kamra.

Based on the complaints, MIDC police booked an FIR against the actor and the case was transferred to Khar police for further investigation.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Kamra should apologise for his statement while the Shiv Sena workers threatened Kamra if he did not apologise to the Deputy CM.

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Won't Apologise: Kamra

Amid the row that dominated the news on Monday, Kamra issued a statement saying he won't apologise for his remarks and condemned the vandalism of the venue where he performed.

"I will not apologise... I don't fear this mob & I will not be hiding under my bed, waiting for this to die down," Kamra said in a social media post, adding that his statement was exactly what "Mr. Ajit Pawar (1st deputy CM) said about Mr. Eknath Shinde (2nd Deputy CM)".

"To the Mob That Decided That Habitat Should Not Stand: An entertainment venue is merely a platform. A space for all sorts 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," he added.