Kunal Kamra has condemned the vandalism at The Habitat Studio in Mumbai, where Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister supporters protested against his jokes about Shinde.
Kunal Kamra, in a post on Instagram, said an entertainment venue is merely a platform; Habitat is not responsible for my comedy, and attacking a venue for a comedian's words is as "senseless".
Kunal Kamra has condemned the vandalism at The Habitat Studio in Mumbai, where Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister supporters protested against his jokes about Shinde.
In a statement posted on Instagram account late Monday night, Kamra said those who are busy leaking his number on social media or calling him incessantly should know that it will all go to his voicemail, where he will be made to listen to "the same song" that they hate.
"I will not apologise... I don't fear this mob & I will not be hiding under my bed, waiting for this to die down," Kamra wrote and added that his statement was exactly what "Mr. Ajit Pawar (1st deputy CM) said about Mr. Eknath Shinde (2nd Deputy CM)".
Kamra had kicked up a major political storm in Maharashtra after he changed the lyrics of a popular Hindi film song on his show to take a dig at Shinde's political career.
On Sunday night, Shiv Sena members vandalised the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, where Kamra's show took place, as well as the hotel in whose premises the club is located. Kamra said the vandalism at the venue was "senseless" and compared it to someone overturning a truck carrying tomatoes because they didn't like the butter chicken served to them.
"To the Mob That Decided That Habitat Should Not Stand: An entertainment venue is merely a platform. A space for all sorts of shows. Habitat (or any other venue) is not responsible for my comedy, nor does it have any power or control over what I say or do. Neither does any political party."
Kamra also spoke about his right to freedom of speech and expression while calling out "politicians threatening to teach him a lesson".
"Your inability to take a joke at the expense of a powerful public figure does not change the nature of my right. As far as I know, it is not against the law to poke fun at our leaders and the circus that is our political system. However, I am willing to cooperate with the police and courts for any lawful action taken against me.
"But will the law be fairly and equally deployed against those who have decided that vandalism is the appropriate response to being offended by a joke?," he added.
The clip from his comedy show and the political controversy it sparked made headlines on Monday. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Kamra should apologise for his "low-level comedy", while opposition leader Uddhav Thackeray said there was nothing wrong in what the comedian said. The Congress and the CPI(M) also came out in support of Kamra.
Kamra criticised the BMC for demolishing the place without any prior notice.
According to officials, Mumbai's civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation visited the demolition site and said they have demolished a temporary structure in the open space of the hotel.
During his stand-up show, Kamra parodied a popular Hindi song from the film "Dil Toh Pagal Hai", which apparently referred to Shinde as a "traitor"(Gaddar). He also cracked jokes about the recent political developments in Maharashtra, including the party split within the Shiv Sena and the NCP.
On Monday, the police arrested Shiv Sena worker Rahul Kanal and 11 others for vandalising the show venue. A local court granted them bail the same day.