Comedian Kunal Kamra's latest video has sparked a row in Maharashtra. Following the release of the video, Shiv Sena workers vandalised Habitat Studio, where Kamra filmed the stand-up show.
The comedian's 45-minute-long video on India and its political landscape left Sena supporters upset. While Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has called on Kamra to "apologise" for his comments, many politicians have spoken out in support of the comedian and his freedom of speech.
This is not the first time Kamra has made the headlines. Here's a look at some of the previous controversies surrounding the comedian.
Kunal Kamra Past Controversies
Kamra Vs Arnab Goswami
In January 2020, Kunal Kamra found himself on the same flight as television anchor Arnab Goswami. In his viral video, Kamra questioned Goswami, his "journalism" and coverage of issues such as the Rohith Vemula suicide.
The video, which Kamra posted on Twitter, resulted in Indigo banning the comedian for six months. Air India followed suit and issued an indefinite ban against the comedian and former Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri called on other airlines to follow to ban Kamra.
Kamra Vs Supreme Court
In November 2002, Kamra posted many tweets against the top court for granting bail to Arnab Goswami, who had been accused of arrested for abetting to suicide in relation to the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
Several cases were lodged against Kamra and the comedian was accused of contempt of court. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal had sanctioned proceedings against the comedian, but he remained defiant.
Kamra further stated he would not take down his tweets against the top court or issue an apology. The comedian commented that the silence of the court on other issues was "worthy of being challenged." Furthermore, he directed the SC to focus on crucial judgements than focus on his contempt of court.
Kamra Vs Ola
In 2024, Kunal Kamra got into a spat with Ola Electric's CEO Bhavish Aggarwal over the firm's response to the complaints regarding its electric scooters.
Kamra tweeted that Ola had failed to address customer complaints and offer refunds, which resonated with Ola users.
In response to Kamra's tweet, Aggarwal responded - “If you can’t assist, then keep quiet and let us resolve the genuine customer issues.”
While Kamra has sparked various controversies during his tenure as a comedian, he is also noted for his work challenging the IT Rules Bill, 2023.
Kamra argued that the establishment of a government fact-checking unit to find "fake or misleading news" would infringe on the fundamental rights of citizens. Bombay HC upheld Kamra's argument and quashed the controversial amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2023.
