Kangana Ranaut hits out at Kunal Kamra, calls demolition of Mumbai studio 'completely legal', says 'can't link it to my...'

Bollywood actress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Kangana Ranaut criticised comedian Kunal Kamra for his recent comments about Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Kunal had referred to Shinde as a "Gaddar" (traitor), because of his switch from the Shiv Sena party, which played a role in forming the current government in Maharashtra. In response to Kunal's remarks, Kangana stood up for Eknath Shinde and condemned the comedian's mockery.

 

 

 

 

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Speaking to the media outside Parliament on Tuesday (March 25), she stated, "Whether you agree with someone or not, making fun of them, especially mocking an illegal incident that happened to me, is not right. I won't compare that incident with this because that was illegal, while this is completely legal."

Kangana was talking about the 2020 incident when the BMC destroyed her Mumbai office after she fought with the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government. The actress also praised Eknath Shinde for his journey, from being an auto-rickshaw driver to becoming the Deputy Chief Minister of the state.

She said, "Shinde ji once drove a rickshaw, and today, he has reached great heights on his own merit. But who are these people mocking him? What credentials do they have? What have they achieved in life?" 

Kunal Kamra has issued a strong statement following the controversy over his performance at Mumbai’s Habitat Comedy Club. The venue was vandalised after Kamra’s remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Supporters of Shinde stormed in, protesting against Kamra’s joke, which referred to Shinde as a “gaddar” (traitor). In response to the backlash, Kamra firmly stated that he would not apologise.

Kamra clarified that the Habitat Comedy Club was not responsible for his statements. “An entertainment venue is merely a platform for all sorts of shows. It has no power over what I say or do,” he wrote on X. He also compared the attack to an irrational act, saying, “Attacking a venue for a comedian’s words is as senseless as overturning a lorry carrying tomatoes because you didn’t like the butter chicken you were served.”

Taking a swipe at politicians and their inability to handle criticism, Kamra argued that freedom of speech should not be limited to praising the powerful. “Your inability to take a joke at the expense of a public figure does not change the nature of my right,” he stated. He also questioned whether legal action would be taken against those who vandalised the venue.