Kunal Kamra's jibe sparks Shiv Sena fury: 11 leaders arrested, govt warns of action

Maharashtra: Comedian Kunal Kamra's recent stand-up performance has set off a firestorm of outrage in Maharashtra. A clip on his YouTube channel included a musical spoof that called Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde a "traitor." The video was met with indignation from the Shinde group of the Shiv Sena.

Protests and vanndalism break out

Subsequently, an FIR was also lodged against Shiv Sena workers for breaking into the studio. Shiv Sena (Shinde group) leader Rahul Narain Kanal, Shrikant Sarmalkar and others were reportedly arrested for breaking into Hotel UniContinental, the location of Kamra's stand-up comedy show. Leaders Arrested, Studio Shut Down

Leaders arrested, studio shut down

The furore over Kamra's stand-up act continued to mount. Shiv Sena members Rahul Narain Kanal, Shrikant Sarmalkar, and others were detained for vandalizing Hotel UniContinental, where Kamra performed his stand-up act. Mumbai's Habitat Studio also declared that it would temporarily shut down after its premises were vandalized by Shiv Sena workers.

A statement from the studio

In a statement, Habitat Studio lamented being targeted for Kamra's show content. "We never had any role in the content performed by any Artist, but the recent occurrences have made us think again about how we get blamed and targeted every time almost as if we are a stand-in for the performer," the studio said.