The News National Bureau , Mumbai :
Rahool Kanal of the Shiv Sena’s Yuva Sena (Shinde faction) on Monday said the party would welcome stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra in “good Shiv Sena style” whenever he enters Maharashtra. Rahool Kanal, who was earlier arrested and granted bail along with 11 other Sena workers for vandalising Mumbai’s Habitat studio where Kunal Kamra allegedly made a joke about Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, asked the comedian, a permanent resident of Villupuram town in Tamil Nadu, to face the legal process in Mumbai.
Comedian Kunal Kamra row | Shiv Sena Yuva Sena (Shinde faction) General Secretary Rahool Kanal says, “Following the procedure of law, (Shiv Sena) Yuva Sena members come to the police station for attendance every Monday and Thursday. We welcome the Court’s verdict that gives him relief, but it is only until April 7. He should come and face the law… No matter what protection he has there (in Tamil Nadu), whenever he comes to Mumbai, he will be welcomed in a good ‘Shiv Sena style’… It’s not a threat. Mumbai has this culture of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ and he considers himself a guest here (in Mumbai) now…What is there to get scared of, he should face the law and follow the procedure.”
Kunal Kamra, known for his satirical comedy and outspoken views, has been facing legal trouble following complaints accusing him of making derogatory comments. The FIRs have been registered in Maharashtra, prompting the comedian to seek legal protection from arrest while he prepares to contest the charges.
On Friday, the Madras high court granted interim anticipatory bail to Kunal Kamra on the condition that he execute a bond to the satisfaction of the judicial magistrate at Vanur in Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu. Kamra had submitted he moved to Tamil Nadu from Mumbai in 2021 and has been “ordinarily a resident of this State (Tamil Nadu) since then” and that he feared arrest by Mumbai Police.
