Mumbai, Jul 18 (PTI) The Maharashtra legislative council on Friday passed a motion allowing the privileges committee to submit its report on comedian Kunal Kamra by the last date of the state legislature’s next session for his remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
BJP MLC Prasad Lad, who heads the committee, moved the motion in the House seeking time till the last day of the session to submit the report on Kamra and Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sushma Andhare.
BJP MLC Pravin Darekar had moved a breach of privilege notice against Kamra during the state legislature’s Budget session for their remarks against Eknath Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena.
The notice stated that Kamra’s parody song had insulting references aimed at Shinde.
Andhare had supported Kamra and used objectionable language which was contempt of the legislature, it said.
Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde had forwarded the breach of privilege notice to the committee in June.
The two were also issued show-cause notices but it could not be delivered due to improper address.
During his performance at the Habitat Comedy Club at the Unicontinental hotel in Khar area of Mumbai, Kamra had referred to Shinde as a “traitor” for splitting the Shiv Sena headed by Uddhav Thackeray in 2022.
The parody was a modified version of a Hindi song from the movie ‘Dil Toh Pagal Hai’ to describe his 2022 rebellion against Uddhav.
Stung by the satire, Shiv Sena functionary Rahul Kanal and 11 others ransacked the venue at a Mumbai hotel where Kamra had performed in March this year.
Unfazed by the violence, Kamra refused to apologise and criticised the vandalism of the venue where the comedy show was recorded.
He was booked by the Khar police on a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel for allegedly making defamatory remarks against the deputy CM.
Kamra had submitted in the Madras High Court that he moved to Tamil Nadu from Mumbai in 2021 and has been “ordinarily a resident of this State since then” and that he feared arrest by Mumbai Police.
The Madras High Court had extended the interim anticipatory bail granted to Kamra till April 17. He never appeared before the Mumbai Police which had summoned him two times. PTI PR NP
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