Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 24 : Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam has strongly criticised standup artiste Kunal Kamra for his "objectionable" remarks against Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde alleging that the funding for his show came from "Matoshree" and sought Kamra's apology.
Matoshree is the residence and ancestral home of former chief minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray.
Nirupam further alleged that Kamra's act was politically motivated and that unless the artiste apologies the Shiv Sena party workers "will not leave him." .
"The place where this show was recorded and the booking money for it came from Matoshree, from Uddhav Thackeray, and that is why Eknath Shinde Sahab has been targeted. Until Kunal Kamra apologises for his statement, we will not leave him. Our people are searching for him, but we have come to know that he is not in Mumbai and has probably fled from here. We will not leave him until he apologizes..."
Addressing mediapersons here, Nirupam further accused Kamra of being affiliated with the Congress and leftist ideology, asserting that his comments were a deliberate attack on Shinde.
"Kunal Kamra is a person from Rahul Gandhi and Congress ecosystem, he is a man of leftist ideology and a close friend of Sanjay Raut. He walked with Rahul Gandhi in padyatra, and his picture came out with Sanjay Raut, he also met Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule. And now, in the name of stand-up comedy, he has made a very low-level comment on our supreme leader, Eknath Shinde," Nirupam said.
An FIR has already been lodged against Kamra at the MIDC police station, Nirupam confirmed and said Kamra needs to be taught a lesson.
"At present, an FIR has been lodged against him in MIDC police station, but if he does not apologise, the law will do its work in its way, and we will do our work in our way," Nirupam stated.
"Freedom of expression exists in this country, but it should not be misused. Kunal Kamra has misused it. He has used abusive words. This is not satire and humour; this is not comedy, it is shallowness. Shiv Sena has made sure that such shallow people will be taught a lesson...," he added.
The controversy erupted after Kamra allegedly made derogatory remarks about Chief Minister Shinde during a stand-up comedy performance.
Mumbai Police earlier on Monday arrested 12 people for vandalising the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, where standup artiste Kunal Kamra performed his recent show for YouTube 'Naya Bharat'.
Police earlier arrested 11 members of the Yuva Sena, the youth faction of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and presented them in the Bandra Magistrate Court. Additionally, Rahul Kanal, a leader of the Eknath Shinde group, was also arrested. Altogether, 12 people have been taken into custody in connection with the incident.